Life As It Was Meant To Be
by darstar
Summary: Welcome to the fourth story in my "Life" series. You should read "A Life Full of Surprises", "A Life Worth Waiting For" for this installment to make sense, and reading the first story "Life as I Saw It" would be a good idea as well. Takes place concurrent with Chapter 51, last chapter of ALFOS. I hope you enjoy this continuation as much as I have writing it. TIVA, McAbby, Mibbs
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to the fourth story in my "Life" series. As we left off in Chapter Fifty-One in "A Life Full of Surprises", Gibbs and Mimi were about to find out the results of her home pregnancy test. Thank you so much for your votes for the title. There was a three-way tie between "Life Goes On", "Life Unexpected" and "A Life Lived to The Fullest." I wracked my brain to come up with something that embodies these sentiments. Welcome to Chapter One of my new story, "Life As It Was Meant To Be".**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own CBS, NCIS or its character. I only own what I create.**

"_**Mimi," Gibbs took her hand and caressed it. "No matter what happens, we'll work it out. If I've learned anything this year is that life is full of surprises, some good and some bad. No matter what, we're going to make this a 'good' surprise." He kissed her temple.**_

"_**I hope you're right." Mimi whispered. She had not kept her fears from Gibbs, and he knew she was shaking inside right now, waiting to find out for sure if their lives were about to change forever.**_

_**The "ding" of the timer Mimi had set startled them both. They looked at each other. "Ready?" Mimi asked. **_

_**Gibbs brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Yeah, I'm ready."**_

_**Together, they looked down and saw their future revealed before their eyes.**_

Chapter One: "Moving Forward"

They stared at the little white stick. Gibbs couldn't believe he had survived explosions and terrorists and battle, yet here he was about to be undone by a _little white stick_.

"Well, there it is." Mimi murmured quietly. She couldn't keep the waver out of her voice.

Gibbs woke up from his trance, having been mesmerized by the little plus sign glowing bright blue before his eyes.

"Mimi, Honey. I know this is a shock; well it was a shock in _January_. I was pretty much expecting this, but it is going to take a major change in our mind set here. _Look_ at me." Gibbs gently placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward him.

Mimi was looking down at her hands. Gibbs lifted her chin with his finger. He was distressed to see the tears in her eyes. "C'mere." He engulfed her in a big hug. "We will get through this. It will be ok." Gibbs stroked her hair. "I know it's not what we planned, but we're just going to have to take things as they come, whether they're planned or not."

Mimi held onto Gibbs tightly. "I am just so…embarrassed." She confessed. Gibbs pulled back and looked at his wife in surprise.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, genuinely shocked by her statement.

Mimi blew her nose. "When our child is ten, I can see someone asking him or her if they are with their grandmother. _Grandmother!_ My mom went through that when she had me so late in life."

She stood up and started pacing. "When Lily gets married and has children, our child will be an Aunt or Uncle, probably before they are a teenager."

Gibbs stood up and took her hand to get her attention. "Alright, you're getting worked up over silly things. The important thing right now is that you and the baby are healthy and things go well. That's all I want you to think about. Besides…" Gibbs grinned.

"You're already a grandmother, and a damned sexy one at that." He kissed her to stop her from protesting any further. "Mimi, we're going to have a baby. Let's just give in to it, and start making plans, ok?"

Mimi's shoulders slumped. "I know…ok, it's just going to take me a while to really get used to the idea. But, we do not say anything to anyone until I am past my first Trimester."

Gibbs frowned. "Ok, but why?"

Mimi looked concerned. "The greatest risk of miscarriage is during the first three months. I don't want to say anything until we are sure…you know?"

Gibbs held her again, understanding but scared by what she was saying. "Ok, you're the expert here. Is that why Tony and Ziva waited so long before they announced their latest addition?"

Mimi nodded. "Believe me; it's easier to wait than to have to tell everyone that you are not having a baby after all."

Gibbs thought about that for a few moments, and it made him feel horrible. He realized he was already attached to this little creation and the thought of losing it would hurt.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Ziva wandered downstvairs to the smell of pancakes coming from her kitchen. "Tony, are you actually making…pancakes?" She asked, rubbing her belly as she made her way to the kitchen island.

"Good morning, mommy-to-be!" Tony kissed his wife then planted a big kiss on her belly. "How's Daddy's big boy?" Tony looked at Ziva, beaming.

"You are in a very good mood, Tony." Ziva looked at her husband, curious. She looked at her daughter and gave her a big kiss. "What is your Daddy up to, hmmm?"

Karina grinned. "Daddy!" She giggled. She had pieces of pancakes on her face.

"What am I up to? Can't being with my girls be enough reason?" Tony slid some pancakes onto a plate for Ziva.

"It's a weekend, albeit a cold and snowy one; we don't have call, and I have my two favorite ladies with me to keep me company. What more can a man ask?" Tony grinned widely.

Ziva smirked at him and sat down, diving into her pancakes. "So what are your plans for your two favorite ladies?"

"Aw, now that is very simple. You are going to snuggle in your favorite chair or on the sofa in front of a big, roaring fire and read your book or listen to music or do whatever you want, as long as you are snuggled in your favorite chair or on the sofa."

"I see, you are holding me hostage, yes? And what will our daughter be doing? Keeping guard?" Ziva batted her eyelashes at Tony.

"That's funny. Our daughter," Tony looked at Karina with a big smile. "Will be helping Daddy today, won't you Punkin?" Tony sat down with his plate.

"We're going to do laundry and vacuum and clean the bathrooms. Karina will be supervising."

"Oh, my…" Ziva chuckled. "Well, good luck with that. Seriously, Tony. I can do…"

"Nope! Nope, nope, nope." Tony interrupted her.

"Nope!" Karina piped up.

"You tell her, Little Ninja!" Tony looked at his daughter, picking up her little hand to do a baby high-five.

"Mimi said you are to do as little as possible. You are eight months pregnant."

"Yes, Tony I know. I can count." Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Ziva, my scary Israeli Ex-Mossad wife. I never thought I'd say this, but there is someone who frightens me more than you." Tony looked at Ziva with a gleam in his eyes.

Ziva's eyes widened, and then narrowed. "Who?"

"Who else? Mimi! And then Gibbs if I don't do what Mimi says. You should be scared too. Scared out of your wits." He took another bite of his pancakes.

Ziva shook her head. It was going to be a long month.

After breakfast, Tony settled her on the sofa with her blankey and her latest book. "Thank you, Tony." She smiled at her husband.

She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he cleaned up the kitchen. Karina was in the family room with her. She had discovered the joy of pushing things around, so they had gotten her a toy stroller for her baby. She delighted in pushing it back and forth around the room.

Tony was also watching Ziva out of the corner of his eyes and noticed her rubbing her belly and grimacing. Keeping calm, he walked into the family room and sat on the sofa, placing her feet in his lap.

"How are you doing?" He asked conversationally.

Ziva looked at Tony, trying to read his expression. "I am fine, Tony. You son is sticking his feet up into my ribs, it is not pleasant. Perhaps you would like to carry our next child, yes?"

Tony rubbed her feet, smiling in relief. "Can't keep anything past you, can I? Saw your expression. Anything I can do?"

Ziva tried turning on her side, but shifted back. "I think I need to walk a bit. Just around the house." She added when she saw Tony's face. "You can walk with me if you like." She glared at him.

"What do you think you're going to do? Make him drop down by jumping up and down or something?" Tony asked, looking confused.

"That is a very good idea." Ziva said, smiling.

"Oh, no you don't!" Tony jumped up so quick and put his arms around Ziva that Karina screamed.

"Oh, now look what you have done." Ziva glared at Tony in disgust. "Come, Karina. It is ok. Mommy and Daddy are having fun, yes?" She smiled wide and she comforted her daughter. She couldn't pick her up, much to her dismay, so she was bent over her.

Karina reached her arms up, wanting her mommy to hold her. Ziva took her hand and went back to the sofa. "Come on, up with Mommy." Karina obediently complied and climbed up into Ziva's lap, trying to fit in as well as she could.

Ziva snuggled her daughter, who was sucking her thumb. "She seems to be sucking her thumb more, Tony. Do you think she is upset, maybe about the baby?"

"Baby." Karina sniffled.

Tony sat down next to Ziva. "I can't think she really understands enough to know what's coming. Do you think we are bringing stuff home from work and she is picking up on when we are upset or stressed about things?" Tony chewed his lip.

"Though I have to admit that the past month has been far less stressful than it has been in the past." He looked significantly at Ziva.

"Maybe she is not feeling well?" Ziva felt her forehead. "She doesn't feel feverish.

"Maybe us not picking her up together has her confused? I thought she really liked spending half days sometimes with Mimi, and she acts happy when I come to get her. Is she ok when it's just you?" Tony looked at Ziva, concerned.

Ziva stroked her baby's curls. "She was confused at first. She asked about you and looked for you, but I thought she got used to it. Maybe we've spoiled her too much, and now she's not getting enough attention from us." Ziva looked troubled.

"Are you kidding? This kid is spoiled beyond description, and will never want for attention, unlike our own childhoods. I'm not going to worry until we see how she handles the baby being here. If she thinks Mommy is not available right now, she is going to be shocked." Tony laughed.

Ziva glared at him. "It is not funny, Tony. Karina is upset and I do not know why and I do not like it."

"Ok, come here." Tony picked up his daughter. He bent his head and kissed her then talked to her gently. "How's Daddy's girl, huh? Is my Karina sad today? Tell Daddy what's wrong." Tony rubbed her back.

Karina looked at her daddy with her big green eyes and grabbed his face and kissed him. Tony smiled wide. "I love my baby girl. Do you love Mommy and Daddy?"

Karina grinned, her finger in her mouth. "Mommy, Daddy…" She giggled.

Tony looked at Ziva. "Maybe I'm too busy "taking care" of her I'm not cuddling her enough. I have been falling off on the bedtime stories, lately. Maybe it's my fault." Tony looked at his daughter.

Ziva touched his shoulder. "Tony, you cannot blame yourself. Karina is going to need a lot of extra attention once the baby comes."

"Baby." Karina said, kissing Tony. Tony laughed. "Oh, you have no idea, Punkin. Come on; let's go check on the laundry, ok?" He picked up Karina, swinging her around, making her squeal in delight.

Ziva smiled and rubbed her belly.

**NCIS**

Tony and Ziva spent a few extra minutes with Karina down in daycare before they headed upstairs. She showed them her "picture" she drew. They oohed and aahed over it, making her grin.

They were finally able to get away, and got upstairs before Gibbs noticed how late they were.

"About time you showed up." Tim remarked.

"Thanks for noticing, McTardy. We're having some issues with Karina." Tony answered.

Tim immediately looked concerned. "What do you mean, is she ok?"

"We are not sure, McGee. She has been, upset I guess you could say. We are not sure if it about our change in schedule or she senses things are about to change, at home." Ziva shrugged, but looked worried.

Tim stood up and walked over to Ziva. "You think Karina can tell something is going to change in your family? I know you've been talking to her about the baby, but she's too young to understand that."

"We're just guessing here, Tim. We're going to talk to Mimi about it."

"Talk to Mimi about what?" Gibbs strode in, coffee in hand.

"We are worried about Karina, Gibbs." Ziva said, looking at him closely. "She has been upset lately, and sucking her thumb more."

"Well, you've been setting up things for the baby, haven't you? You just got a bunch of presents for the baby that Karina has seen and haven't been given to her. Maybe she's upset one of the toys she saw she hasn't been allowed to play with." Gibbs sat at his desk, case closed.

He was speaking of the joint Baby Shower that was given two weeks ago for Ziva and Abby. It was a big to-do, with tons of presents. Karina was thrilled with all the pretty presents, but she did cry when she didn't get one at first.

Mimi actually anticipated this, and made sure Karina and Jamie also had a few presents to open. But there were lots of stuffed animals and fun things that caught her eye.

As predicted, Gibbs presented Tim and Abby with their own hand-crafted cradle, enlarged to hold two babies. He had talked to Tony and Ziva about their plans for their son.

They decided to use the same cradle Karina had for the baby. The crib Gibbs had made was able to be converted into a big girl bed when she was old enough, so he was planning to make a new crib for their son.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other, considering what Gibbs just said. It made a lot of sense. She had been acting up since the shower. Just then, Gibbs' phone rang.

"Gear up, dead Marine." Tony, Tim and Ned grabbed their gear and followed Gibbs out the door. Tony stopped by Ziva's desk and gave her a quick kiss.

"Be careful." She said, touching his hand.

Tony smiled. "Hey, I got Dornie, the wonder Probie with me. No problems!"

Ziva shook her head. She waited for the elevator to close, and then she got up and headed downstairs to check on Abby.

"Hi Abby, hi Lily!" Ziva called out. Abby looked up from her desk.

"Hi, I'm in here." She waved. Ziva waved to Lily and walked back to the office.

"What are you doing, Abby?" Ziva sat down in the other chair.

"Staying off my feet, since Mimi has her little spy in here." Abby cocked her head in Lily's direction.

Ziva's eyes bugged out. "What? You think Lily is spying on you? On us? You are mistaken, Abby. Lily is helping you."

Abby grinned. "I know. I just wanted to see how long I could keep you going. But I am sitting as much as possible; these little monsters are wreaking havoc with my Mojo." Abby looked out into the lab, watching Lily move with confidence as she ran Major MassSpec.

"Thank God for Lily. And for Ellie Black." Abby took a sip of her No-CAF Pow!

Ziva looked confused. "Who is Ellie Black?"

"Mmmm! Dr. Ellie Black! She is totally awesome. She's been helping out, especially with the late hours and on-call. Thank God she is semi-retired or I would be worried about my job."

Ziva shook her head, as if Abby ever had to worry about being replaced. "How's Lily doing?"

"She is _so _great. She really has a nice touch with my babies. I won't let Timmy touch them, but Lily can take over in that area. They are in good hands."

Lily finished with what she was doing, and walked over to the office. "Hi, Ziva! How are you doing?"

"I am fine. They just got called out, dead Marine. So you will be getting some work shortly."

"Awesome! Well, not awesome that there is a dead Marine. You know what I mean." Lily leaned against the door frame. "Have you talked to my mom lately?"

Abby and Ziva looked at each other. "I spoke to her on Friday." Abby said. Ziva thought about it. "I think I spoke to her, maybe Wednesday, Thursday…why?"

Lily looked over her shoulder. "Did she sound…weird?"

Abby frowned. "Weird? No, Mimi sounded like…Mimi. What are you talking about, Lily?" She looked at Ziva again, who was also looking concerned.

Lily shrugged. "I talked to her on Sunday. She seemed, I don't know, distracted? I told her Sean and I were getting married and she said, 'that's nice, Lily.' I mean, come on!"

"What? Wait! You and Sean are getting married?" Abby almost squealed.

Lily shook her head. "No, I mean we are not engaged. I just said that because I wanted to hear her reaction. She wasn't paying attention to _anything_ I was saying."

Ziva sat back and frowned. "Maybe she was just tired. It has only been a month and a half since everything happened. Maybe she was having a bad day."

Lily looked upset at that. "I didn't even think…oh, my God. I better go see her tonight."

_**Back again. Just a little catch up, and of'course the "big reveal". The votes were an overwhelming "yes', so you got your wish. And an introduction to a new character, even if it is just a name at this point. Hope you stick around for the ride! **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Lily shrugged. "I talked to her on Sunday. She seemed, I don't know, distracted? I told her Sean and I were getting married and she said, 'that's nice, Lily.' I mean, come on!"**_

_**"What? Wait! You and Sean are getting married?" Abby almost squealed.**_

_**Lily shook her head. "No, I mean we are not engaged. I just said that because I wanted to hear her reaction. She wasn't paying attention to **__**anything**__** I was saying."**_

_**Ziva sat back and frowned. "Maybe she was just tired. It has only been a month and a half since everything happened. Maybe she was having a bad day."**_

_**Lily looked upset at that. "I didn't even think…oh, my God. I better go see her tonight."**_

Chapter Two

Lily let herself into the house. "Mom? You here?" She called upstairs.

She looked up as she heard her mom coming down the hall. "Lily? I wasn't expecting you to come by tonight. Is everything ok?" Mimi came down the stairs and gave Lily a hug.

"Yeah, I'm good. How about you? You seemed, I don't know…distracted yesterday on the phone. Is everything ok?" Lily walked with her mom into the kitchen.

Mimi stopped mid-stride, and turned and looked at her daughter.

Lily's eyes opened wide. "Oh my God! Something is wrong! Mommy, what is it?"

Mimi sighed. She took Lily's hand and led her to the sofa. "You're scaring me…" Lily whispered.

"Lily, are you and Sean intimate?" Mimi asked, staring directly into her daughter's eyes.

Lily jerked. "That's what is bothering you? Whether or not Sean and I are having sex? I _am_ twenty-two, Mom!"

Mimi shook her head. "No, you and Sean having sex isn't bothering me. What about protection?"

Lily looked confused. "I'm on the pill, you know that. And we use condoms, even though we both had ourselves tested and I am positive Sean is not sleeping around on me." Lily looked frustrated.

"So you remember what I told you about condoms?" Mimi asked quietly.

Lily looked at her mother like she was nuts. "Yes! I remember our enlightening talk when I was fifteen, how condoms can break. What has gotten into you?"

"I can't take the pill, Lily. It's too dangerous for someone my age." Mimi said so quietly, Lily almost didn't hear her.

Lily looked at Mimi, confused. Then light dawned in her eyes. "Oh, Mom. Are you saying you and Daddy use condoms and one broke?" She started laughing. "That must have scared the heebie-jeebies out of you."

"It's not funny, Lily." Mimi rebuked her daughter. "And I would appreciate it if you would stop laughing."

Lily immediately stopped laughing but couldn't keep the smile off her face. "When did this happen?"

"On our honeymoon." Mimi said calmly.

This time, Lily frowned. "But that was, what? Six weeks ago, or more? Why are you stressing over this now?" Lily's eyes suddenly got larger.

"No…" Lily stood up.

"Lily…" Mimi grabbed her daughter's hand and stood as well, distressed to see the tears in her eyes.

"NO! I'm his daughter now! You can't have another baby. Wasn't I enough? How could you?" Lily was sobbing.

Mimi was crying as well. "Lily, we didn't plan this, and no one could ever replace you, with me or with Jethro." Lily pulled her hand from Mimi's.

"How could you let this happen? Now of all times? I…" Lily ran from the house.

"Lily!" Mimi ran to the door, yelling after her daughter. She was more afraid of her driving in the snow in her current frame of mind than anything. She quickly called Gibbs.

**NCIS**

Gibbs smiled when he saw the readout. "Very Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs" he said, causing Tony to snap his head up. That was _his_ line. Come to think of it, Gibbs had been in a strange mood all day. Not a bad mood, almost a good mood, but definitely a strange mood.

"Hi Babe, what's up?" Gibbs listened with growing alarm on his face, which Tony picked up on. He stood up and walked over to Gibbs' desk.

"Ok, calm down…I'll find her and talk to her. Yes, I promise. Ok, love you, too." Gibbs hung up and rubbed his face.

"Boss? Everything ok?" Tony asked. Tim looked up from his desk. Gibbs looked at them, and then looked to his left at the desk Dorneget was sitting at. Ned immediately bent back down to whatever he was working on.

"Lily. She's upset and Mimi is worried about her driving in this weather. Tim, can you get into her GPS?" Gibbs had long ago asked Tim to install GPS hook ups to all of their vehicles.

"Sure thing, Boss." Tim began typing.

Tony looked confused. "What happened, she was fine earlier?" Tony shut up after he saw the look Gibbs gave him. "Probably just a fight with Sean." He said to himself, going back to his desk.

Gibbs looked at his watch. _Six p.m._ It was dark already, making seeing black ice impossible. Gibbs was shocked when Mimi said she had told Lily their news. He thought she had wanted to wait.

Well, apparently Lily didn't take the news too well. He looked grim, feeling responsible for his daughter's distress. "Got it, Boss!" 25th and H Street, NW. Isn't that where she lives on campus?"

Gibbs nodded relieved. "Ok, everyone go home. More snow tonight."

Gibbs grabbed his things and took off. He called Mimi, to let her know he was heading over to Lily's apartment. He pulled into the only available parking spot, about two blocks from her place.

He checked out her car before he went inside, making sure she didn't have any accidents on the way home. The car looked good, and the engine was already cold. That told him she came right home.

Taking a deep breath, he entered her building and took the elevator to her apartment.

He took a few moments to gather himself, and then he knocked on her door. He could hear her come to the door, but she didn't open it. "Lily, I know what happened. I know you're in there and I have a key to your apartment." Gibbs called out.

Slowly, the door unlocked. Lily opened the door and stood there. Gibbs took in her red, puffy eyes and his heart sank. He didn't expect her to jump and down with joy at the news, but he also didn't expect…this.

"Can I come in?" He asked. Lily silently opened the door wider and stood to the side, letting him enter.

He stood in the living room, watching her fidget near the door. "Your mom told me what happened." He began. Lily didn't comment, but she looked away.

"Lily, I can understand your shock. Hell! _I'm_ still in shock; your mom is in shock _and_ denial. But this? Why are you so upset?"

"Why am I so upset?" She yelled. "I finally have a father, and now I find out I'm not good enough. I'm not blood!"

Gibbs paled. He had feared Lily might have this kind of reaction, but to hear her say it made him want to cry. "Lily, why would you ever think you aren't good enough? You and your mom are the best thing that has happened to me. And I was content with that."

"Then why are you having a baby?" She cried.

"Because we had an accident. Accidents happen, Lily. I know your Mom has drilled that into you." At that, Lily actually smiled.

"We didn't plan this, Lily. And no one could ever replace you, in my heart or in your mom's. But the reality is, your mom is going to have a baby, and we are going to be happy about it and never, _ever_ treat this child as if it was an accident or unwanted." Gibbs was stern with Lily now.

"This isn't about you Lily. It's about your mom and she is going to need all the love and support you and I can give her. Do you know she is scared out of her wits over this?" Lily jerked her head up at that.

"No, why is she scared?" Lily looked unsure, and concerned.

"Because she knows too much. Something about risks and older mothers. I don't understand half of what she says. But if Mimi is scared, then so am I." Gibbs voice softened. "She needs you more than ever now, Lily. Please don't do this."

Lily looked at Gibbs, fresh tears in her eyes. She ran to him, accepting his hug. "I'm sorry. I was just so shocked." She cried into his chest.

Gibbs rubbed her back. "How could you ever think you weren't enough for me, Lily? You're my Lily." Gibbs whispered in her ear.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." She wiped her nose like a little girl, which made Gibbs smile at her.

"Come on; let's go see your mother. And I'm sure she didn't get a chance to say this, but we are keeping this a secret, for now." Gibbs held out her coat.

"Really, why?" Lily looked surprised.

"Talk you to your mom; she can explain it far better than I can." Gibbs smiled.

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home**

Mimi waited anxiously for Gibbs and Lily to get home. She was relieved when she heard back from Gibbs, telling her that everything was ok.

She heard the truck pull into the driveway and went to the front door.

Lily flew into her arms. "Oh, Mommy! I'm so sorry. I was being a selfish child." Lily cried.

Mimi stroked her daughter's hair. "It's ok, Lily. I pretty much had the same reaction. But we'll be fine, now. One day at a time."

Lily nodded and they all went and sat down at the table. Mimi of'course had dinner all set out- comfort food. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, homemade biscuits and if Gibbs' nose was not deceiving him, home-made apple pie.

After some quiet eating, Lily finally spoke up. "So when are you due?"

Gibbs looked at Mimi, because he had no idea either. Mimi shrugged. "I have an appointment next Wednesday. We'll find out then." She went back to her dinner.

Lily looked at Gibbs, who looked at her and raised an eyebrow. In that expression alone, she understood how distressed her mom was over all of this.

"Mom, you know you know. You do this for a living. Come on, I'm ok with this now." Lily tried to put her mom's mind at ease.

Mimi sighed. "Ok, you're right; I can figure it out on my own. Sometime around the end of September, around the 26th."

Gibbs looked surprised at that. September 26th. Same month as his birthday. Knowing when the baby was going to be born made it all the more real, as if the positive pregnancy test wasn't enough.

Gibbs let Lily and Mimi chat while he went downstairs to work on his latest project, which was the crib for Tony and Ziva. He knew they needed this time to bond over this, and he also knew that Mimi needed to see for herself that Lily was ok.

Gibbs considered how he was going to let the team know, and he had to admit to himself that he didn't really know. He wasn't sure that he wanted them to make a big group announcement. Maybe a one-on-one with Tony and Tim. Mimi could tell Ziva and Abby.

Gibbs shook his head. He was just as scared as Mimi was. He hoped he could hold it together until everyone knew.

**NCIS**

Tony had been watching Gibbs all day, his concerning growing by the minute. Gibbs had been checking his watch like, every two minutes for the last two hours. He finally couldn't stand it anymore.

He got up and stood in front of Gibbs. "Yeah, DiNozzo? Whatcha' got?" Gibbs didn't look up.

"I have a co-worker I'm worried about. He's anxious, nervous, watching the clock, waiting for something to happen…"

Gibbs cocked his head and smiled at Tony. "Are you worried about me, DiNozzo?"

Tony was surprised Gibbs copped to the truth so quickly. "I don't know. Should I be?" Tony was unsure as to what he should say. He looked at Tim for support. Tim ignored him.

"If you must know, I am waiting for Mimi. She has an appointment this afternoon, and I am going with her."

Tony frowned at that. "Is Mimi ok?" He remembered last week when Lily got upset. Gibbs looked at Tony, giving him an expression that clearly said it was none of his business.

But Gibbs decided it wouldn't hurt to give him a plausible reason, if only to keep Tony's over-active imagination from running wild. "Just a follow-up with her docs after what happened last month."

Tony looked like he had been gut punched. "Oh yeah, right." He went back to his desk. Gibbs phone rang. "Hey, I'm on my way down."

"Mimi here, Boss?" Tim asked, smiling.

Gibbs grabbed his stuff. "See you tomorrow." He strode to the elevator.

Tony, Tim and Dornie all looked at each other. "Okay…you know what that means." Tony grinned wide. Tim rolled his eyes. Dornie looked confused. "No, what?" He asked.

"I'm in charge. Ok, Probie, go over those crime scene photos again. Figure out what you missed."

"I didn't miss anything, Agent DiNozzo." Dornie said.

Tony held up his finger. "Of'course you missed something. The fact that you don't know what it is proves my point. Look again. McGee…"

"Forget it, Tony. I'm already working on what Gibbs gave me to do." Tim ignored Tony.

"Fine. Be that way. But if we get called out…" Just then, Gibbs' phone rang. Tony raised his eyebrows. "Huh? What did I tell you?" He grabbed Gibbs' phone. "Agent Gibbs' desk, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo speaking. Yeah, yeah…got it." Tony put the received down.

"Gear up, dead Marine!" Tony went to his desk.

Tim looked at Ned. "Uh, Tony. Don't you think you should call Gibbs?"

"No, I don't. You heard him. He's left for the day. He left me in charge, as I am Senior Field Agent. Now gear up!" Tim and Ned grabbed their things and ran after Tony toward the elevator.

Fortunately, it was a fairly cut and dried case. But it was good for Dorneget to get the experience. Tony knew Ziva would be out full-time probably before the baby came, so the quicker he got up to speed the better.

Ned and Tim took the evidence downstairs, where they found Ellie Black waiting for them. Tim smiled. "Hi Doc! How are things going?"

Ellie looked up as Tim spoke. "McGee, nice to see you. How's Abby doing?"

"She's good. Bored but good. Need any help?" Tim indicated to Ned that he should bring their evidence forward.

"I know that! Can tell when I talk to her. Here, let me take those off your hands." She signed for the evidence and placed the bags in the bin.

Tim looked at the big plasma. "What are you working on there?" He asked.

Ellie looked. "Just some slides for Ducky. He is doing a presentation at the Annual Medical Examiner's Convention."

McGee smiled and nodded. He had noticed that Ducky seemed to find his way down to the lab more often since Ellie started filling in. "That's real nice of you, to help him out."

Ellie smiled. "Oh, Ducky and I go way back, though I haven't seen him in years. It's wonderful to work with him again."

Tim grinned. "Yeah, I can see that. Well, we won't take any more of your time. See you later." Tim dragged Dornie out with him.

"McGee, why are you smiling like that?" Dornie looked confused.

They headed back up to the Bullpen to find Tony packing up. "Hey, good work today, Dornie. See you tomorrow. Later, McGee." Tony got in the elevator and got off at the level the Daycare Center was on to pick up Karina.

She was sitting with a small group of little toddlers, listening to a story being read to them. Tony watched her from the window, amazed that he and Ziva had made such a beautiful little girl.

He watched her fluff her curls out, imitating her mother. He had to grin at that. She was so like Ziva. He had no doubt she would be a force to be reckoned with in a few years, if not sooner. But it was getting late, and they needed to get home. He lightly rapped on the door.

One of the daycare workers looked up and smiled. She unlocked the door and let him in. "Karina!" She called out. Karina looked up and saw Tony standing by the door.

"Daddy!" She squealed. She began toddling, running, half-falling into his waiting arms.

"There's my big girl!" He covered her in kisses. "Ready to go see Mommy?" Karina nodded her head up and down. Tony grabbed her little backpack and thanked the daycare worker. He thought briefly back to several years ago when that Navy Chaplain, what was her name? Anyway, she brought him down to Daycare to help him face his worst nightmare- children.

He shook his head. "If she could see me now…" He sang to himself, grinning at his daughter.

_**Thanks for the wonderful reviews. I am also writing a new "Promonitions" story, so will try to alternate between the two.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**One of the daycare workers looked up and smiled. She unlocked the door and let him in. "Karina!" She called out. Karina looked up and saw Tony standing by the door.**_

"_**Daddy!" She squealed. She began toddling, running, half-falling into his waiting arms.**_

"_**There's my big girl!" He covered her in kisses. "Ready to go see Mommy?" Karina nodded her head up and down. Tony grabbed her little backpack and thanked the daycare worker. He thought briefly back to several years ago when that Navy Chaplain, what was her name? Anyway, she brought him down to Daycare to help him face his worst nightmare- children. **_

_**He shook his head. "If she could see me now…" He sang to himself, grinning at his daughter.**_

Chapter Three: "Getting Used to Things"

**Walter Reed-Women's Clinic**

Mimi fidgeted as she sat on the exam table. Gibbs sat quietly in one of the chairs. He was having a serious flashback, except he had never been here. Shannon had always gone to her appointments by herself. Gibbs was just an enlisted man and didn't have the privilege to take off for his wife's OB appointments.

Dr. Trent knocked lightly then opened the door. "I thought I'd be seeing you soon." He smiled, looking back and forth between Mimi and Gibbs.

"Farley…" Mimi started.

Dr. Trent held up his hand and scooted over on a stool. "Ok, I know how you are feeling right now. The problem, Mimi is you know too much. Can you pretend for once that you aren't brilliant?" That got a smile out of her.

"I know what your concerns are. We know what to look out for and how to take care of you. How are you feeling?" He pulled out his chart.

Mimi looked at Gibbs, and he smiled encouragingly. He was totally out of his element here. He wasn't even there when Kelly was born.

"Well, I've had a few bouts of morning sickness, nothing too horrible. If I didn't know I was…pregnant…I would have thought it was just a stomach bug."

Trent smiled sadly. "Mimi, I know you are in shock over this, but the sooner you get over your denial, the easier it will be for you. Remember _our_ surprise?"

Mimi's eyes widened, and then she smiled and chuckled. Gibbs looked confused. She looked at him. "Farley and Andrea his wife were shocked to find out she was pregnant two years ago."

Gibbs looked between the two of them, not getting it. Dr. Trent clarified. "Andrea had her tubes tied. Glad I wasn't the one who did _that_ procedure."

Gibbs wasn't sure what alarmed him more: that a sterilization procedure wasn't a guarantee of sterility or that a doctor might operate on his own wife.

"Ok, point taken. We've told Lily by the way. She didn't take it too well at first, but she's come around." Mimi grabbed Gibbs' hand.

Dr. Trent nodded. "It's hard on older children and especially hard on an only child. Lily's mature; I'm not worried about her. Ok, what do you say we get started here?"

Mimi lay back down and Dr. Trent examined her abdomen. "I'm going to do an ultrasound, Mimi. Make sure there isn't more than one. May as well find out from the get-go."

Gibbs' eyes bugged out at that. "More than one?" His voice was hoarse.

Mimi chuckled at his discomfiture. "Another risk of later in life pregnancy, Jethro, is that there are a higher percentage of multiples, you know twins."

Gibbs looked at her, shocked. "How can you say that so calmly when you can barely say you are pregnant?"

Mimi blushed. "That was the nurse in me talking just now, Jethro. The idea of _one_ baby scares the Hell out of me. Having _twins_…?" She shuddered.

"Ok, here we go." Dr. Trent warned Mimi. "Try to relax."

Gibbs saw the ultrasound probe and it wasn't like anything he had ever seen before. "What the Hell is that?" He looked like he was going to faint.

Mimi grabbed his hand again. "It's a vaginal ultrasound, Jethro. I'm not far enough along yet to pick up anything through an abdominal ultrasound. It's ok. Do you need to leave?"

Gibbs looked at the probe, then back at Mimi. "No, I'm fine."

The corners of Mimi's mouth twitched as she tried to suppress her smile. "Ok, Farley. Let's do this." She said.

Dr. Trent proceeded with the ultrasound. He turned the monitor so they could both see it. "There's the sack, nice position. Only see one, so that's some good news, yes?"

Gibbs expelled his breath. He looked at the black sack with the whitish blob in it. "Doesn't look like much, does it?" He found himself saying.

"Not right now, but very quickly you will see the changes. Everything looks good, Mimi." Dr. Trent withdrew the probe. "I do recommend that we do an amnio."

Gibbs looked up. "What's that?" He asked, not liking the sound of it.

"Amniocentesis. It's an invasive procedure in which we take a very small amount of the amniotic fluid and test it for abnormalities."

"Because we are older parents." Gibbs clarified.

"Because I am an older mother. Your age has no bearing on it." Mimi stated.

Gibbs looked at her abdomen. "How do you get the, uh, fluid?" He looked back up at Dr. Trent.

"We don't need to go into the particulars right now, Jethro. We won't do this until weeks fifteen to eighteen. Mimi is about seven weeks. Plenty of time before we talk about it." Dr. Trent was cleaning up. "Your due date estimation is spot on, about September twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth."

Gibbs was about to say something but Mimi grabbed his hand yet again. "Don't fret about it, Jethro. We'll think about it when it's time, ok?" She looked into his eyes, begging him to drop it.

Gibbs looked back into her clear blue eyes and fell in love all over again. He kissed her hand. "Ok, whatever you say. This is all new to me. I was pretty much out of the loop when Shannon had Kelly."

Mimi nodded her understanding. In many ways, Gibbs was a brand new father. First with Lily and now with this baby. She hadn't realized how little he experienced with Shannon, but it made sense once he voiced it.

"When do you see patients again, Mimi?" Dr. Trent decided to change the subject.

Mimi smiled. "I actually come in tomorrow." She turned to Gibbs. "Ziva and Abby both have appointments."

Ziva and Abby were both now on weekly appointments, Ziva because she was in her last month and Abby because she was two months out and having twins. They decided it would be easier on them to have their appointments together.

Dr. Trent left the room so Mimi could get dressed. "Just a head's up, Jethro. I'm may need to take either Ziva or Abby, or both, out of work after I see them tomorrow."

Gibbs head jerked up at that. "Why, is something wrong?" He looked worried.

Mimi shook her head. "They're both doing well, but not everyone can work right up until the moment they go into labor, even if it _is_ their plan." Mimi knew that both Ziva and Abby had announced they would work up until the last moment.

"If Ziva had her way, she'd be in labor and still be in the middle of catching some bad guy." Mimi shrugged. "Wishing doesn't make it so."

Gibbs gave a quick sigh of relief. "Well, we're covered at work, at the moment. So you do what you think is best."

"Oh, I will. Whether they like it or not." Mimi grinned.

Gibbs kissed his wife and grinned back. He hoped neither would be taken off work just yet, for their sakes. They were already bored working half-time.

**Tim and Abby's Home**

"Timmy, help!" Abby called out to her husband, who was downstairs in the basement working on the TV and DVD wiring.

He pounded up the stairs, out of breath. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Abby looked frustrated. "I need help getting up the stairs. It wasn't hard yesterday, why is it hard today?"

Tim looked surprised and slightly alarmed. "What do you mean 'it's hard'? Are you out of breath or …?"

"I get too tired, lugging all this weight around. I make it up about two steps then I have to rest." She frowned. "I don't think I'm out of breath." She thought about it for a while. "No, I'm not catching my breath. It's like my legs can't lift this huge stomach."

Tim frowned, but went immediately to her side and helped her up the final steps of the stairs. He led her to their bedroom and made her lay down. "Your ankles are swollen, Abby. Here." Tim put her feet up on a pillow. "I think I better call Mimi."

Abby looked distressed at that. "Tim! She'll take me out of work."

"Abbs, listen to me. What if we have another situation at work and we need to evacuate? You can't take the elevator. Or you shouldn't." Tim added, thinking about Tony and Ziva.

"You won't be able to get out. Maybe you should be at home until the babies come. Between Lily, Dr. Black and me, we have the lab going well."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Abby grumbled. "Ok, call Mimi." Tim had already pulled out his phone.

"Hi, Mimi it's Tim. No, I'm not sure. Can you come over? I hate to ask…ok, see you in a few."

"Mimi and Gibbs are on their way over." Tim kissed her lightly. In less than five minutes their doorbell rang.

Tim ran down the stairs and let them in. "What happened, Tim?" Mimi asked quickly.

"She can't climb the stairs on her own. And her ankles are really swollen. I elevated her legs." He turned to Gibbs. "Boss, I'm worried about her being at work and if we need to evacuate. Abby will never make it up the stairwell."

Mimi had already started up the stairs. Gibbs looked at Tim, realizing he was saying Abby needed to stay home. He nodded. "She'll do what Mimi thinks is the right thing to do." He squeezed Tim's shoulder.

"Hi there." Mimi poked her head in the bedroom, seeing Abby lying down with her feet up.

"Hi." Abby sounded defeated. "Look, it's no big deal." She began.

"Uh huh. Why don't you tell me what happened?" Mimi had pulled out her blood pressure cuff and stethoscope.

Abby pounded the bed with her fists. "I couldn't lug this huge stomach up the stairs. Tim had to help me."

"Ok, how did you feel? Short of breath? Weak? Dizzy?" Mimi was listening to her lungs now.

"Just not, I don't know, _strong _enough. I didn't have the strength to hoist myself up to the next step. I didn't have this problem yesterday."

"Things may have shifted, Abby. Your pelvic ligaments have loosened and you may not have the physical support you need to do some things you normally do, like climbing the stairs."

Mimi sat back and looked at Abby. "Your blood pressure and lungs are fine. Let's take a look." Mimi felt her abdomen, and palpated her hips and lower back. "Any pain anywhere?" Mimi asked.

Abby shook her head no. "I feel _fine._ I just can't climb stairs."

"Or steps, or maybe a curb. Maybe you can't get in and out of a car without a lot of help. I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm putting you on bed rest. Your joints have really loosened up, which is great for giving birth, but I don't want to risk you falling and injuring yourself."

Abby groaned. "For real? Now I know what Ziva went through. Well, sort of. The babies are ok, right?"

Mimi smiled. "Everything seems fine, except you need to be safe. Strict bed rest, no getting up to the bathroom by yourself. I'll set up some in home assistance for you." She patted Abby's hand. "Let me go share the news."

Mimi headed downstairs and saw Gibbs and McGee deep in discussion. They both looked up when they heard her coming down the stairs.

"Well?" Tim asked, the worry unmistakable in his voice.

"The babies are fine, but Abby needs to be on bed rest though until they come. I'll set up some in home care to help her with meals and getting to the bathroom. Tim, it's important she stays in bed. Her pelvic ligaments have stretched to a point where she may not have proper support. She's a fall risk."

Tim looked pale. "How could things change so drastically in one day? She was fine yesterday."

Mimi smiled ruefully. "I'm sure she wasn't, it just wasn't annoying enough for her to mention. This didn't happen overnight, but the end point has occurred. She stays in bed." Mimi's word was final. She pulled out her phone and started making calls, setting up the home visits.

"I can stay here and help her out as well." Mimi began.

"Mimi…" Gibbs started, and then shut up. Tim looked surprised that Gibbs would not want Mimi to help with Abby, but he was too worried about his wife to think any more about it.

"I'm going to go check on Abbs." Tim took the stairs two at a time.

Gibbs walked up to Mimi. "Should you be taking on extra housekeeping duties right now?" He whispered.

Mimi looked at him in surprise. "Because I'm…?" She looked upstairs and lowered her voice. She pulled him into the kitchen. "Jethro, I'm pregnant, not deathly ill."

"You told me this was a high risk pregnancy. Shouldn't you be taking it easy?" Gibbs looked concerned.

Mimi sighed. It was going to be a long seven and a half months. "Jethro, I know my body. I will know when to slow down. Trust me on this. I appreciate your concern and I love you for it. But I'm fine, really." She patted his arm. Tim came back down.

"OK, well, Abby is not happy, but she is onboard." Tim sighed and rubbed his face.

"It will be ok, Tim. This is more of an annoyance than something really bad. Just make sure she doesn't try to get around by herself, ok?"

Tim nodded. "I will and thanks, both of you, for coming over. I'll try not to abuse your availability too much."

"Take it easy, Tim." Gibbs slapped his upper arm. "Is Abby decent?" Tim nodded. Gibbs headed upstairs.

"Who's laying down on the job now?" He smiled as he walked into the bedroom.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!" Abby wailed. "I don't like this one bit. Can't you talk to Mimi about this?"

"Oh, no…I don't ask Mimi to solve my cases, and she doesn't ask me to take care of her patients. It's this strange deal we have."

Abby bit her lip. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But two months, Gibbs! You need to come over every day and tell me everything that happens!"

Gibbs looked at her like she was nuts. "Nah, that's what husbands are for, Abbs. Oh, don't worry." He added when he saw her sad look. "I'll visit you. Just maybe not every day after work." He bent down and kissed the top of her head.

"You take care of yourself and those grandkids of mine." He said softly.

"Ok, Gibbs, I promise." Abby tried to smile, but it was a little lopsided.

Gibbs grinned and headed back downstairs. "Well, good luck, McGee. I really mean that." He quipped.

Tim looked exhausted already. "Thanks, Boss. I guess I'll need to get some pointers from Tony." Tim pulled out his phone. _"May as well get some instructions now._" He thought to himself.

"Yes, make sure Ziva knows. They were planning to come in together for their appointments tomorrow." Mimi added.

"Will do." Tim responded. He waved as they pulled away. Tony answered on the fourth ring.

"Hey, McGoo. Sorry it took me so long to answer. I was giving Karina her bath." Tony sounded winded and a bit harried.

Tim smiled to himself, remembering that Tony had been instructed to take care of Karina as much as possible to give Ziva the rest. "Is everything ok?" Tony asked, after Tim didn't respond immediately.

"Well, no and yes. Abby's on bed rest until the twins are born. Her pelvic ligaments have stretched and weakened too much for her to support herself when she walks."

Tony frowned, not really understanding what Tim had just said, except that Abby couldn't walk. "What's the part that's ok?" He asked, remembering Tim had also said "yes" to his question.

"Oh, well the babies are fine; it's just this ligament thing with Abby. Mimi's worried she could fall. She can't climb steps or stairs."

Tony considered the implications of that. She wouldn't be able to go up and down the stairs in their home. And at work, well there were elevators but if they were worried about her even just walking…

"How is Abby taking it?" Tony asked sympathetically.

Tim sighed in frustration. "Well, to say she is not happy is putting it mildly. How did you cope with Ziva?" He finally asked.

"Ah, the million dollar question. I waited on her hand and foot; gave her whatever she wanted, even if I thought it was absolutely gross; gave her lots of back and foot massages; and no matter what, told her she was right."

Tim was silent. "That bad, huh?"

Tony laughed. "You have no idea, but you will. It won't be forever. We'll help keep her entertained. Ziva and I will come over tomorrow with the munchkin to visit."

Tim smiled. "Abby would like that. I know you'll tell Ziva about all this, but Mimi wanted to make sure she knew because she and Abby were going to their appointments together tomorrow."

"Oh, right. I knew that." Tony said thoughtfully. "Ziva's still driving, although I wish she wasn't, but there's no reason not to, other than me not wanting her to drive. If we're not busy, maybe I can go with her instead."

"Ok, Tony. Thanks. I'll keep you posted." Tim hung up. He made Abby a cup of tea and headed upstairs to see his wife.

_**Thanks again for the great reviews and support. Work is really tiring, still not used to being back, so the updates may not be as quick as I would like.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Tony laughed. "You have no idea, but you will. It won't be forever. We'll help keep her entertained. Ziva and I will come over tomorrow with the munchkin to visit."**_

_**Tim smiled. "Abby would like that. I know you'll tell Ziva about all this, but Mimi wanted to make sure she knew because she and Abby were going to their appointments together tomorrow."**_

"_**Oh, right. I knew that." Tony said thoughtfully. "Ziva's still driving, although I wish she wasn't, but there's no reason not to, other than me not wanting her to drive. If we're not busy, maybe I can go with her instead."**_

"_**Ok, Tony. Thanks. I'll keep you posted." Tim hung up. He made Abby a cup of tea and headed upstairs to see his wife.**_

Chapter Four: "Family Time"

Tim peeked in. "I brought you some tea." He said, smiling brightly.

"Oh, Timmy! You're the best. I am not going to take advantage of this situation. I'll be fine while you're at work. I don't want you to worry about me. Well, of'course I want you to worry about me, I mean, you love me so you're going to worry about me. But you don't need to. But you will, but it's ok if you don't." Abby's eyes were huge as she rambled endlessly.

Tim sat on their bed. "Abby. I will always love and worry about you. And I will take care of you, the best way I know how. And right now, I want you to relax and not worry about worrying me, ok?"

Abby took a sip of her tea, nodding her head in agreement. "I brought someone for you." Tim opened the door wider and Jethro bounded in.

"Jethro! Good boy!" Abby was rubbing his head as he stretched up to reach her. "Are you going to keep Mommy company while Daddy goes to work? Huh? That's Mommy's boy!" Abby was chattering away in the baby voice she used when she talked to the dogs.

Jethro's ears were moving back and forth, in rhythm with her voice. Abby looked up and smiled. "Well, Jethro will be happy to have me home with him, keeping him company."

"There you go." Tim smiled. "Just no getting up and playing with him." He reminded her. Abby's smile lost some of its wattage, but she maintained it nonetheless.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Tony dressed Karina for bed, and then picked her up. "Let's go see Mommy and tell her about Aunt Abby, ok?" He grinned at his daughter.

"Ok." Karina mimicked. She began clapping her hands, excited but she didn't know why. Ziva looked up and smiled when she saw them come down the stairs.

"You look very pretty, Karina." Ziva reached out her hands for her daughter. Karina giggled and wiggled to get down. Tony put her on her feet and she toddled over to the sofa that Ziva was lying on with her blankey.

Ziva picked her up and covered her with the blanket as well. Karina touched Ziva large belly, patting it gently. "Mommy." She grinned.

"Mommy's got a baby brother in there for you, Karina." Tony sat on the coffee table so he could face his girls. He reached out and caressed Ziva's stomach. "Your baby brother will be here soon. He can't wait to meet you."

Karina listened to her daddy with interest, looking at him as he was talking to her, then watched him stroked Ziva's abdomen. She leaned over and pulled up Ziva's shirt.

"Well, she is not shy." Ziva said, amused.

Tony grinned. "I wonder who she gets that from?" He tried to look innocent.

Karina leaned down and kissed Ziva's tummy and then patted it again. Ziva and Tony looked at each other and smiled. Just then the baby kicked, causing Karina's eyes to get so big they almost popped out.

"That was your baby brother. He wants to come out and play with you." Ziva placed her hand again on her stomach. Karina put her other fingers in her mouth and laughed.

"God, I hope our son is a clone of this child." Tony breathed in, awed by the wonderful creature that he called his daughter. He remembered what he needed to tell Ziva.

"Hey, while I was upstairs getting Karina ready for bed, Tim called."

Ziva shifted, looking alert. "Is everything ok? Why didn't you tell me right away?"

"Because I was busy getting our daughter ready for bed. It's not an emergency. But Mimi has put Abby on bed rest until she has the twins. Something about ligaments or muscles. I don't remember exactly what McGee said. Except that she can't climb stairs."

Ziva ran her fingers through Karina's hair. "Oh, my. Poor Abby. She will be hysterical being in bed for two months. I know. It about drove me crazy and she is far more…"

"Hyper? Crazed?" Tony added helpfully.

Ziva gave Tony a slight look of annoyance. "I was going to say more excitable, but hyper does fit." She frowned. "She cannot climb stairs? This just happened? I do not have such a problem."

Tony shrugged. "Ask Mimi tomorrow when you see her, which is another reason I was to tell you this, other than the obvious, since you and Abbs were going in together tomorrow."

Ziva nodded. "Yes, we made out appointments together. It was easier to do it that way. I guess I will go alone now." She sounded sad.

"I have enjoyed spending this extra time with Abby. We have made a special bond. I am sorry we will not be able to continue it."

Tony squeezed himself onto the sofa, so he could sit next to Ziva. "Hey, you can still see her every day, just at her home. But you will have to drive by yourself, which I'm not too thrilled about. Look, if we aren't busy I will go with you tomorrow. I haven't been to the last two appointments. I'm sure Gibbs will understand." He kissed Ziva's temple. Karina climbed from Ziva's lap and leaned against his shoulder.

Karina placed her hand on his cheek and pushed him to Ziva. He laughed. "You like it when I kiss Mommy? I like it too, Punkin." Tony kissed Ziva on the lips, and then kissed Karina with a big smacking noise, making her giggle. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"I think it's bedtime for someone." Tony said in a singsong voice. "How about a story, Princess?" Karina clapped. He kissed Ziva again and stood up with Karina.

"I will be up shortly. I am getting tired." She yawned to punctuate the point.

"Go get in bed, I'll bring you some tea after I put Karina down." Tony smiled at his wife. Her smile in return was all he needed. He thought he was the luckiest man alive, and that was saying a lot.

All of them had settled down, well except the Duckman. Tony decided that would be his next project. Everyone deserved the same happiness that he and Ziva had finally found.

Jimmy and Breena had started the ball rolling. Tony still shook his head in remembrance of when they first met Breena. Who would have thought the Autopsy Gremlin would have landed that blonde bombshell? It gave him hope, that he should throw caution to the wind and stop being afraid.

A lot of people and events got in the way, but it finally happened. Then Tim and Abby. And Gibbs! That was the most surprising but in a way the most gratifying.

Their little NCIS family was growing by leaps and bounds. Two years ago and today were light years apart in scope and content. Tony shook his head as he stroked his sleeping daughter's hair. Never did he expect to be here, standing over his daughter's sleeping form, when he and Ziva made their first tentative steps toward something more.

"Goodnight, my sweet Angel." Tony whispered. He looked in on Ziva, who was now in their bed with her book.

"Any special requests?" He asked, smiling.

Ziva looked up. "Is Karina asleep?"

"Yes, I bored her to tears and she couldn't take it anymore." Tony joked.

Ziva shook her head. "Some blueberry acai tea would be lovely, Tony. Thank you."

Tony saluted and headed down to the kitchen. As the water was heating, he rummaged in the fridge and pulled out a brownie. Ziva hadn't asked for a treat, but he knew she wouldn't turn it down and he loved surprising her.

Ten minutes later, he was heading back upstairs. Ziva looked up expectantly as he came back into the bedroom. "For my beautiful wife." He handed her the cup of tea. "And for my ravenous son." He produced the brownie.

Ziva looked surprised, then chuckled. "I almost called you on your cell to ask you to bring something back. I should have known…"

Tony climbed into bed with her. "I have this down to a science. I think I can have the next baby, if you like." Tony looked quite sincere.

Ziva stared at him, and then started laughing. She had to cover her mouth, so she wouldn't wake Karina. "Oh, Tony. The things you come up with." She took a bite out of her brownie and closed her eyes in bliss. She held it up to Tony for him to take a bite. He grinned and took a small bite.

"That _is_ good." Tony admitted.

"Mmmmhmmm…" Ziva murmured as she chewed thoughtfully. She swallowed her morsel and took a sip of tea. "Tony, you have mentioned several times 'our next baby'. Do you really want another child, or are you just being silly?"

Tony looked at Ziva, trying to gauge her feelings. "Well, I guess we _should_ see how we do with two. But if our son is anything like our daughter, then a third should be a piece of cake. I wouldn't mind waiting a little longer between babies the next time, though."

"My body thanks you." Ziva replied. "I would like to have my figure somewhat 'normal' for a period longer than two months." She took the last bite of her brownie.

Tony grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Has it been really awful, getting pregnant again so quickly?"

Ziva considered the question. "I do not think the word 'awful' comes to mind. A little inconvenient, maybe. But I would not change anything. We are having a beautiful little boy that I cannot wait to meet."

She finished her tea. "I agree with you. We should see how we do with two children, but I am certain I will want at least one more child."

"At least." Tony murmured. "And you know it may take a lot of trying to get pregnant the next time. We may have to work really hard at it." Tony wagged his eyebrows up and down.

"Oh, I do not think that, I am counting on it." Ziva smiled wickedly, kissing a crumb off of Tony's mouth.

"If you weren't already about to expel our child, I would suggest making one right now. But I guess we'll have to wait."

"Unfortunately." Ziva agreed. "You are incorrigible."

**NCIS**

McGee was grilled thoroughly by Tony and Ziva once they got into work. They were pleased to see he seemed to be taking this change of events well.

"Mimi said her pelvic ligaments were stretched and may not support her when she was climbing stairs, maybe even walking. The risk of falling and hurting herself too great." McGee pointed to his monitor.

"I looked it up on the internet. It's not that unusual, but not common either. It is more common with woman having multiples. Uh, more than one baby." McGee was showing them the website he pulled up.

Ziva looked at it with interest. "So how is Abby handling this, and be honest McGee."

Tim shrugged. "It's only been one day. Ask me again in a week, then a month. I think her biggest problem will be isolation, so please feel free to visit any time you want."

Tony clapped Tim on the shoulder. "Where's Gibbs?" Tony looked around."

McGee frowned. "He's running late."

Tony and Ziva stared at McGee and they also frowned. "Late? Gibbs actually called and said he was running late?" They looked at each other.

Tim stood up. "Has Gibbs said anything to you lately about Mimi?"

Ziva looked really concerned now. "Why would you ask that, McGee?"

Tony got back up from his desk and stood next to McGee. "What are you talking about?" He looked really worried as well.

"It's probably nothing. But last night, when they were over, Mimi was talking about getting some help for Abby at home. You know, like Ziva had but more for housework, cooking and walking her to the bathroom, not for monitoring the babies."

McGee got a faraway look in his face. "McGee, focus!" Tony snapped his fingers.

"Oh, sorry. Like I said, maybe it's nothing, I could have imagined it."

"What, McGee? You are being very vague and I am sorry to say this, annoying." Ziva said.

McGee looked around. "As she was talking about getting Abby help, Mimi mentioned that she could also come over and take care of her."

Tony looked at McGee. "Yeah…and?"

McGee again looked around. "Like I said, I could be wrong. But as soon as she said that, the Boss stopped her, like she shouldn't be offering her services."

Tony looked confused. "That's it? I thought it was something serious."

Ziva nodded in agreement. "I agree with Gibbs. Mimi should not have to drop everything in her life to take care of one of us."

"It was _how_ he said it. All he said was her name, like he was trying to stop her, but that one word had so much concern and worry in it, I am wondering if perhaps, Mimi might be sick or something."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other again. "He sounded worried, huh?" Tony commented, not liking what he was hearing.

"Who sounded worried?" Gibbs came up behind them.

"Well, _you_ did, Boss. About Abby." Tony covered himself.

Gibbs nodded. "She'll be fine. As long as she stays in bed, that is." He directed that at McGee.

"She will, Boss." McGee assured him.

"Karina says 'hi'." Tony said to lighten the mood.

Gibbs smiled and looked at Tony. "Did she? Well, maybe Grandpa and Grandma will need to see her this weekend."

"That would be nice, Gibbs. You haven't been over for dinner in a while." Ziva said. Gibbs nodded and started working on something.

"You have an appointment today, Ziver?" Gibbs asked, still looking at paperwork.

Ziva looked at Tony, then at Gibbs. "Yes, around 12:30." She answered.

"Good. Have Tony take you. Let me know what Mimi says." He continued working with his head down.

"Sure, Boss!" Tony said. "I was hoping to go today anyway." Gibbs smiled.

**Walter Reed- Women's Clinic**

Fortunately, the day was quiet, so Tony didn't have trouble taking off. They waited to be called back, but this time Tony was looking around at everyone, wondering if one of the other couples could be the next Pvt. Carr.

"Relax, Tony. It is a routine appointment." Ziva was reading a magazine.

"I'm not thinking about the appointment." Tony whispered to her out of the side of his mouth. That caused Ziva to stop reading and look at Tony. She looked around the waiting area, understanding what he was talking about.

"Mrs. DiNozzo?" The receptionist called Ziva back. Taking Tony's hand, she got up and they went into the clinic area.

"Hi, Ziva. Tony, what a nice surprise!" Mimi smiled as she walked into the room. She gave them hugs.

"How are you doing, Mimi?" Tony asked conversationally.

"Good. But the question is how is our Ziva here, hmmm? You got the news about Abby, right?" It wasn't really a question.

Ziva nodded. "Tim called Tony last night. I spoke to Abby as we drove over here."

Mimi chuckled. "Is she stir-crazy yet?"

Ziva chuckled as well. "No, not quite yet, but I am sure it will only be a matter of time."

"Speaking of a matter of time, let's check you out." Mimi got Ziva's weight, measured her abdomen and got her vital signs.

"Ok, the icky part." She had Ziva lay down and Mimi proceeded to do a pelvic exam. She took off her gloves when she finished.

"Well Ziva, Tony: you are two centimeters dilated." She threw the gloves into the biohazard waste receptacle.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other. "What does that mean?" Tony asked.

"It means that Ziva's body is preparing to give birth. If this was your first pregnancy, I wouldn't be too concerned about this, and I am not concerned now. But subsequent pregnancies are notorious for having shorter labors. You could have this baby in a couple of days or in two weeks. You are having more frequent Braxton-Hicks?" Mimi looked at Ziva.

Ziva's eyes were wide. She nodded yes. "I have noticed an increase, but they are regular and not painful." She wasn't sure she was ready to have this baby in two days. "Is it not too early?"

"You are almost thirty seven weeks. I am not worried about how the baby will do if you gave birth this afternoon, which I don't think is going to happen." Mimi added quickly after seeing the color drain from Tony's face.

"So what do we do?" Ziva asked.

"Nothing. You look great, you are feeling well. He'll let you know when he's ready to be born."

Ziva held her breath. "So I do not need to be out of work?"

Mimi smiled. "I leave that up to you. I can tell you are not overstressed, the baby is fine. You will have this baby in a week, possibly days I am willing to bet. Make sure you're ready at home."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other. They thought they had almost a month left to go. A week or less? They were both excited and scared.

"Well, then. I invited Gibbs and you to come over for dinner soon. Maybe it should be sooner rather than later? How about tonight if you are not already busy?" Ziva offered.

Mimi smiled. "I'll call Jethro and see if he is available. I talked to him around lunch so I know the day has been slow, but I also know that can change in a second."

They both nodded. Tony helped Ziva off of the exam table and helped her put herself back together. "I want to see you in three days to see how you are progressing. That is if you don't give birth before then." Mimi said.

They stopped at the front desk to make their appointment and headed out. Tony called Gibbs to give him a head's up.

_**Thanks for the great reviews. I am so enjoying this series and I am glad you are too.**_


	5. Chapter 5

"_**Well, then. I invited Gibbs and you to come over for dinner soon. Maybe it should be sooner rather than later? How about tonight if you are not already busy?" Ziva offered.**_

_**Mimi smiled. "I'll call Jethro and see if he is available. I talked to him around lunch so I know the day has been slow, but I also know that can change in a second."**_

_**They both nodded. Tony helped Ziva off of the exam table and helped her put herself back together. "I want to see you in three days to see how you are progressing. That is if you don't give birth before then." Mimi said.**_

_**They stopped at the front desk to make their appointment and headed out. Tony called Gibbs to give him a head's up.**_

Chapter Five: "An (almost) Reveal"

**NCIS**

"Yeah, Gibbs. DiNozzo, what's the news." Gibbs listened quietly as Tony made his report of their visit. Gibbs' eyes got wide when he mentioned Ziva could give birth within the week.

Tim was watching him as soon as he heard Gibbs say 'DiNozzo' and was alarmed when he saw the look on Gibbs' face.

When Gibbs didn't immediately get up and prepare to leave, McGee let himself relax a bit. He waited patiently until Gibbs ended the call, although he got worried again when Gibbs told them to go home for the day.

"Boss, everything ok?" McGee asked nonchalantly.

"Yep, Ziva could give birth within the week, though." Gibbs went back to work.

Tim stopped mid-keystroke. "But, isn't it too early for the baby to come?" He didn't understand why Gibbs wasn't rushing around doing…something.

"If they're not worried, then neither am I. And neither are you or Abby." Gibbs looked at him pointedly.

McGee understood that Gibbs had just told him that he was not to share this news with Abby. "Got it, Boss."

Gibbs smiled. Inside, he was having a mild heart attack, but he had to take his own words of advice. Tony said Mimi wasn't worried, so he wasn't going to be worried either. Just then Mimi called.

"Hi, just spoke to Tony." Gibbs said conversationally.

Mimi chuckled. "Well, you sound mighty calm for someone who's probably going to be a grandpa again in less than a week."

Gibbs swallowed. "Yeah, well it's a gift." He replied.

At that, Mimi laughed heartily. "Oh, my. That was…totally out of character. Listen, how's work? Ziva wants us to come over for dinner tonight, you know, while there are still just three of them."

This was getting _real_, Gibbs thought. "Yeah, that sounds great. I'll call you when I am heading home. Bye. Love you, too."

Gibbs looked at McGee. "Tim, go home. Spend time with Abby. Entertain her. Make her happy."

McGee looked surprised. "Are you sure, Boss? I don't mind staying a bit longer."

Gibbs gave him a look that said _"take whatever small bones I throw you."_

McGee smiled. "Ok, Boss. Thanks! See you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, McGee." Gibbs waved him off. Gibbs waited until the elevator doors closed before he leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling.

"_In a week?"_ He thought to himself. That was a surprise, no a shock. He thought about what he needed to get done. He realized that the crib could wait until the baby was moved into the bedroom with Karina, so there was no rush with that.

He couldn't carve the baby's name in the cradle until he was born and they all found out what it was. Gibbs realized that he didn't have to rush to complete anything and was stunned to find himself fret about such things.

If he was reacting this way with DiNozzo's kid, how was he going to handle his own? Gibbs head slapped himself and gathered up his things. He needed to get out of here and spend some quality time with his family.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Karina was bringing every toy she had in her play box downstairs to her grandpa. Gibbs kept asking her to "go get your baby" or "go get your puppy" and Karina happily complied. The rule was she had to take a toy back to the box and she picked out a new one.

Gibbs got a kick out of watching her toddle back and forth, concentrating on getting her toys and bringing them to him. Every time she brought him a toy, he said "thank you, Karina" and she giggled.

Tony, Ziva and Mimi watched this little game from the kitchen. "Karina's missed seeing you." Ziva smiled.

Mimi looked surprised. "We just saw her last week!"

Ziva shrugged. "I know, but she misses you." Ziva rubbed her stomach.

"Ok, there?" Tony asked, watching Ziva closely.

Ziva looked at Tony. "_Yes,_ I am ok. Your son is very active at the moment." She turned and watched Karina and Gibbs again. "He is going to tire her out. She will sleep well tonight, yes?"

Mimi chuckled, and then stopped. She had a sudden wave of dizziness and she didn't want anyone to notice. She was glad she was already sitting. She took a sip of her hot tea, hoping that would mask her current state.

Tony noticed her hand trembling slightly, but didn't say anything. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. He thought she looked a little pale, and her eyes looked slightly…panicked?

Just as he was about to say something, he could see her relax and smile. The slight tremor stopped and Mimi asked Tony a question.

He was brought out of his reverie by Ziva poking him in the ribs. "Huh? What?"

"Mimi asked you a question, Tony. You were day sleeping." Ziva said.

"Day dreaming." Gibbs said, walking up carrying Karina and Bobo her stuffed blue puppy.

"Oh, sorry Mimi. What did you ask?" Tony tried not to look embarrassed.

Mimi smiled at Tony, figuring he was thinking about their newest addition. "I asked you if you were going to have the Bris."

Tony fortunately already knew about this ceremony, and was prepared to answer. "Ziva and I talked about it. We _are_ going to let the kids decide which religion to follow when they are older, but we also decided some traditions need to be followed. Just like we had Karina baptized. So I guess the answer is yes."

"My father will fly in to attend. He is very excited that we are honoring this tradition." Ziva spoke up.

"What are you talking about?" Gibbs asked.

"Our son's circumcision, excellent dinner conversation." Tony smiled.

"Oh." Gibbs said. He looked at Karina. "Icky." He said to her.

"Icky." She repeated.

They all laughed. Ziva became serious. "It is a very solemn tradition yet also a celebration. Although we are not following it to the letter of the law. For example, our son will not be given a Hebrew first name. Naming the child, giving him his Hebrew name, is part of the ceremony."

She took a deep breath. "This brings up another part of the ceremony. The godparents take an active role. Tim and Abby are Karina's godparents. We would like you to be our son's godparents and we hope you accept."

Mimi and Gibbs both looked surprised. "Aren't we the grandparents?" Gibbs asked.

"Sure you are, but you can be godparents as well. Unless…you don't want to." Tony smile lessened.

Mimi looked at Gibbs, who smiled. "We are honored, Tony, Ziva. Just let us know what we have to do."

"It is not much. Mimi, I will hand my son to you, you will give him to Gibbs, he will then place him on the Chair of Elijah and then give him to Tony."

Gibbs and Mimi listened to her explain their roles during the Bris. It sounded simple enough.

Karina yawned. Mimi laughed. "That's our cue. Time for bed. Ready Jethro?"

Gibbs gave Karina a big kiss goodnight and handed her over to Mimi to cuddle for a minute. He watched her talk to the baby, trying to imagine their own child in her arms. He smiled as he saw Tony take over.

"Time for your bath, you little stinker." Tony smacked her tummy with his lips, causing peals of laughter.

Ziva walked them to the door. "I am so glad you could come over tonight on such short notice."

"Yeah, well, you call us if you need anything, day or night, Ziver." Gibbs said.

"You do not need to worry, Gibbs. We will call you the minute I go into labor."

Gibbs grinned. "Yes you will." He replied. "Goodnight." He put his arm around Mimi and walked her to their car. She thought Gibbs was acting very protective of Mimi while they were outside, making sure she didn't trip over anything in the dark. He actually opened the car door for her.

Ziva shrugged. They were probably still in the honeymoon phase. She smiled, happy for them.

Ziva went upstairs to join Tony and Karina. She stopped by the bathroom and looked in as Tony bathed their daughter. He had gotten very good at doing it by himself. He looked up when he sensed her in the doorway.

"Hey." He smiled. "We're almost done here. What are you smiling at?"

"Right now? You, but I was smiling at Gibbs and Mimi. He is so protective of her. He practically carried her to the car. It was quite romantic."

Tony squirted a big glob of baby wash against the tile. "What?" He asked, his face pale.

"What is wrong with you?" Ziva asked, concerned. "And clean that off of my tile when you are done."

Tony looked at Ziva, and then looked at the mess he had inadvertently made. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. I'll talk to you later." He went back to bathing Karina.

Ziva rolled her eyes. "Ok, I will take my shower when you are done." She headed for their bedroom.

When she heard Tony take Karina into her room, she ran her shower. The warm water felt wonderful, her lower back had been bothering her for the past week. Now she understood why, but that didn't make the discomfort any less.

She was glad she and Tony had stopped by to visit with Abby this afternoon. She was going to make it a point to see her every day until she went into labor. Once the baby was born, it would be several days before she would be able to visit her again.

Abby had been in good spirits, considering, but as Tim said, it had only been one day. It had been like playing hockey; no, that was not right. Tony had told her that was the wrong word once, when they stayed home from work and Tony had gleefully corrected her. What was the right word? Hickey? No, that was something different altogether. Ah, hookie. That was it.

Yes, it was easy for Abby right now, but soon she would begin to chafe at the restrictions. She and the baby could entertain her for a little while every day or every other day.

Ziva rubbed her belly. "Are you ready to be born, little one? We have been anxious to meet you." She spoke with tenderness and love. She felt a gentle kick, as if the baby was telling her that he loved his mommy.

She came out of the shower smiling. Tony was already waiting for her with her nightly cup of tea. "I'm just going to take a quick shower. Try not to fall asleep." Tony gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and practically ran into the shower.

Ziva looked at his retreating back slightly puzzled, but shrugged and settled herself into bed.

She had barely grabbed her book and read three pages when he came out. He pulled on his pajama bottoms and a T-shirt and climbed into bed. He put his arm around Ziva and kissed her deeply.

"What are you doing, Tony? Trying to get me to go into labor by getting me excited?" Ziva raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you excited?" He asked, grinning.

"Not yet." She looked him up and down.

"Ok, that's fair. No listen, I wanted to talk to you about Mimi. Remember what McGee was saying, wondering if she was sick or something?"

Ziva frowned. "What are you saying, Tony? Did Mimi say something to you?"

Tony shook his head. "No, but for a moment there while we were watching Gibbs and Karina, she got this funny look on her face and I swear I saw her hand shaking. She looked a little pale as well."

"What? Why didn't you say something?" Ziva was alarmed.

"Because it looked like she was trying to hide it. I could tell whatever it was that was bothering her went away, because she relaxed and her hand stopped shaking. You know, Gibbs took her to the doctor a week ago."

"Yes, but that was a follow-up for…oh, do you think she is having some problems after her head injury?" Ziva was deep in thought. "Gibbs was very protective of her walking to the car. I thought they were still just being newlyweds, but maybe he was making sure she didn't trip or something."

Tony looked worried. "Look, you don't need to be thinking about this right now. I'm sorry I brought it up. You're going to give birth soon. I don't want you worrying about Mimi. I'll talk to Gibbs, make sure she is ok."

Ziva nodded. "She seemed perfectly fine today at our appointment." She tried to not think about the implications of post-traumatic head injuries.

Tony rubbed her shoulders and neck. "Come on, relax. I'm sure she is fine. Gibbs would tell us if it was something bad, I'm sure. She's probably just having some real killer headaches. They can do a real number on you, believe me."

"Yes, I have been grazed by a bullet before. I remember." Ziva shuddered.

Tony held her close. That had not been a good period for them, and he didn't want her, or him, to think about it right now.

"Here, let me get you some more tea, ok? How about a treat?" Tony kissed her lightly.

"Just some tea, thank you, Tony." Ziva kissed her husband back. She watched him head downstairs. Ziva sighed, worried about Mimi, but also worried about Gibbs.

She hoped it was something minor like headaches. She couldn't imagine what other problems she could be having after being grazed, but she only knew what she herself had been through.

Ziva sighed. Mimi could take care of herself and she was surrounded by the best in the medical field. They would take care of her, of that she was certain.

Tony was back shortly with her tea. He settled back down in bed with her and put his arm around her again.

**Gibbs and Mimi's Home**

Mimi was quiet on the drive home. She usually didn't like Gibbs hovering over her like she was going to break, but she was grateful for his assistance to the car tonight.

That wave of dizziness caught her by surprise. She thought she covered it well, although she was certain she saw Tony giving her a strange look for a few seconds.

"Thank you, honey." She said as Gibbs handed her a cup of tea. They sat in silence for a while. Finally she spoke up. "How did you know?"

"That you felt sick or something for a few minutes? Like I don't know you." Gibbs took a sip of his tea. "Do you want to tell me?"

"I felt dizzy for a few moments. It was the first time, although I did have occasional episodes of dizziness when I was pregnant with Lily. It was around this time, too."

Gibbs tried not to look concerned. He grabbed her hand. "What if it happens when you are driving?" He looked into her eyes.

She shook her head. "It never has before. It is usually after a long day on my feet, like I was today. But I do think Tony noticed something."

Gibbs rubbed his face. "If DiNozzo noticed something and he thinks you might have something wrong with you, I can guarantee he will come and talk to me about it."

"Well, you know how I feel about telling people too soon. But if I run to the bathroom and start puking, I guess that might clue some people in."

"So if he asks, what do you want me to say?" Gibbs massaged her neck.

Mimi sighed. "If Tony comes to you and he is really concerned, I guess you can tell him. I don't want everyone discussing me behind closed doors, imagining all sorts of horrible things that could be wrong."

"Yeah, if Tony noticed something, I am sure he said something to Ziva. They may even ask Tim if he noticed anything the last time we saw them. Shit. I'm sorry, Mimi. I know you want to keep this quiet."

Mimi shrugged. "It is what it is. Maybe he won't say anything. Hopefully, his mind is on Ziva right now, as it should be." She said keeping her fingers crossed.

_**Thanks again for the great support. Baby next chapter, promise! **_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Mimi sighed. "If Tony comes to you and he is really concerned, I guess you can tell him. I don't want everything discussing me behind closed doors, imagining all sorts of horrible things that could be wrong."**_

"_**Yeah, if Tony noticed something, I am sure he said something to Ziva. They may even ask Tim if he noticed anything the last time we saw them. Shit. I'm sorry, Mimi. I know you want to keep this quiet."**_

_**Mimi shrugged. "It is what it is. Maybe he won't say anything. Hopefully, his mind is on Ziva right now, as it should be." She said keeping her fingers crossed.**_

Chapter Six: "Welcome to the Family!"

**Tim and Abby's Home**

Abby was thrilled that Tim was able to come home earlier than she expected. He also surprised her with a bouquet of flowers.

"Oh, Timmy, they're beautiful!" She gushed.

Tim smiled; glad he could make his wife happy with something so simple. "So how was your day?" He asked, sitting on the side of the bed.

Abby smiled. "It was ok, Suzie is nice. I was good and never got up without help. Oh! Oh! Oh! Tony, Ziva and Karina came by after they saw Mimi." Abby sighed contentedly.

Tim wondered if they had said anything about the baby coming earlier than expected. If they did, clearly Abby was not troubled by it.

"Oh, you haven't heard? Ziva is going to have the baby real soon, like maybe tonight or tomorrow or the next day. Anyway, probably in a week. Isn't that exciting? I am so excited!" Abby was bubbling with the news.

Tim relaxed. Abby was not upset or worried, so now he didn't have to worry himself about accidently letting her know. He kissed her. "I did hear, but I wasn't sure you had. I wanted to give you the chance to say it."

"Oh, that's so sweet…" She kissed her husband. "Jethro has been at my side all day. He wouldn't even go outside when Suzie opened the French doors. You better make sure he goes outside." Trust Abby to be more concerned about the dog than herself.

Tim stood up. "Ok. Come on, Jethro. Let's go outside." Jethro got up and bounded down the stairs after Tim. He obediently went outside and did his business.

Tim took the time to make some dinner for himself and Abby. Using the bed tray Ziva had given them, he put their plates of food on it to carry upstairs. Jethro barked, letting Tim know he was done and ready to take up his post again.

Tim laughed at his dog, going in circles as he waited impatiently to be let back into the house. "Ok, go back upstairs and see your mommy." Tim ordered. Jethro laughed at him, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth and ran back up the stairs.

Tim shook his head and followed him, carefully balancing the loaded tray in his hands.

**NCIS**

Tony and Ziva were surprised they arrived before Tim. Tony put Ziva's stuff down behind her desk then went to sit at his own. "Hope Abby's ok. Maybe he is staying home today." Tony looked at the empty desk.

"Nope, not staying home, just running late. Abby was a little, uh, challenging this morning." Gibbs replied as he popped around the corner of the Bullpen, inevitable coffee in hand.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other and smiled, wondering exactly what "challenging" meant. Just then, McGee rushed in. "Sorry, Boss. Won't happen again."

"Sure it will, McGee. I'm surprised you made it out the door." Gibbs smirked.

Tony sauntered over to McGee's desk. "So, Abby tried to get you to stay home with her? Already?" Tony laughed at McGee discomfort.

"She was quite convincing…" McGee replied, his face red.

"Oh…" Tony turned around and walked back to his desk, throwing an expression of _"Too Much Information"_ at Ziva. She tried to keep from laughing but her snorts gave her away.

Gibbs glanced up. Ziva looked good, Tony looked good. Only McGee seemed somewhat out of it. He smiled again and shook his head. Trust Abby to come up with something to keep Tim at home. If he was surprised that she tried to initiate sex while she was seven months pregnant with twins, he didn't show it.

Dornie however, looked aghast at the scenario Tim tried to not describe. He started to say something along the lines of _"wouldn't that make Abby go into labor or something?"_ but the look on Gibbs' face stopped him.

Just then his phone rang. "Yeah." Gibbs wrote. "Got it." He hung up.

"Gear up, dead Marine." He tossed the keys to Dorneget, who dropped them.

Tony went over to Ziva and kissed her good bye. "Be careful." She said, holding his hand a little longer than usual. He stroked her cheek.

"Always." He gave her another quick kiss.

"Today, DiNozzo!" Gibbs called from the elevator.

Tony gave Ziva a grin and ran to catch up. She waited until they left and then rubbed her stomach. She had started having contractions this morning, around six a.m. They weren't bad and weren't very close together, so she hadn't said anything to Tony.

She got up and stretched her lower back. She decided to go down to the lab and check in with Lily. Besides, walking was good for labor.

She walked into the lab and found Lily engrossed with something on the plasma. "Hi, Lily!" She said brightly.

Lily turned and smiled. "Ziva! What a nice surprise. What are you doing down here? I'm not working on anything for you guys just yet."

Ziva nodded her head. "They just got called out, so you will soon have evidence to play with." She knew Lily was thoroughly enjoying her time in the lab. The only downside was not having Abby there anymore, even if it had only been for half days.

"How's Abby doing? Have you seen her or spoken to her?" Lily asked anxiously.

"We visited her yesterday afternoon when we got home. She is fine for now, but I am sure she will get bored very soon. Right now, it is like a vacation."

Lily nodded, remembering when Ziva had been on forced bed rest and had balked at the restrictions. "Well, at least the babies are ok."

Ziva rubbed her belly, as a stronger and more painful contraction hit. "How is your mom, Lily?" She asked, to get her mind off of her labor.

Lily whirled around, her eyes large. "Why would you ask that?"

Ziva frowned. Did Lily just reveal that maybe there _was _something going on with Mimi? Ziva smiled and shrugged. "I was just wondering if she was still having any problems after her accident in January. I have been grazed before and the headaches can last for quite some time."

Ziva watched Lily's body language and could see her relax noticeably. What that said to Ziva was that there was something going on with Mimi and it wasn't about her head injury. That really had her worried now.

"Mom's fine." Lily said quickly and turned back to the plasma. Ziva frowned. Lily would need to learn better masking skills if she was going to make it in the field…Ziva caught herself.

Lily was not planning to be a Field Agent, but she may still need to have the skills to hide results from probing eyes and ears. She made a mental note to herself to discuss it with Gibbs.

Abby had saved the day on more than one occasion because she was able to keep things to herself and not share details, even when asked by the most senior of personnel.

"Well, I am glad to hear it." Ziva responded to Lily's pronouncement of her mother's health. "How's Sean?" She asked, changing the subject.

Lily tensed. "I'm not sure." She hedged.

Ziva's heart sank. Surely they did not break up? She walked up to Lily and touched her arm.

"Is everything ok?" She asked quietly.

Lily shrugged. "I guess. No, I don't know." She turned to face Ziva. "He's still talking about going to MIT in the fall."

Ziva looked at her sympathetically. "And you do not want him to go."

"It's a great opportunity for him and for his career. But no, I want him to stay here and go to school. That's really selfish of me, isn't it?" Lily looked down.

"No, it is not selfish. You want to be with the man you love." Ziva said soothingly.

She looked at Ziva in surprise. "You know?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Ziva chuckled. "Of'course I know. It is on your face, in your actions when you are together. But if you both truly love each other, time and distance will not change this fact. You must trust your feelings."

Lily had tears in her eyes. "That's what Daddy said to me. Well, not exactly that way, but that's what he meant." She hugged Ziva. "Thank you, Ziva. You always know the right thing to say."

Ziva smiled. She felt another sharp twinge and thought she better get back upstairs and maybe call Tony. As she turned to leave, she felt the wetness run down her leg and onto the floor.

"Oh, my God, Ziva! Your water just broke!" Lily grabbed the phone.

Ziva looked at the puddle of liquid at her feet. "Who are you calling?" She asked quickly.

"I am calling the paramedics and then I am calling Mom. You better call Tony."

Ziva grimaced as another contraction hit. She pulled out her phone and pressed her speed dial.

"Ziva?" Tony's voice sounded worried.

"Where are you?" Ziva asked.

"We're on our way back." Tony looked at Gibbs, who was driving. "Is everything ok?"

"No, my water just broke. Lily is calling an ambulance to take me to the hospital. Meet me there." She hung up before Tony could say anything more.

Tony stared at his phone. "DiNozzo! What did she say?" Gibbs barked.

"Her water broke; she's heading to the hospital." He was still staring at the phone. Gibbs floored the gas and put them in the direction of Walter Reed.

Fortunately, Mimi was already there giving a lecture. She had just finished when she got Lily's call. She made her way down to the ED to wait for Ziva's arrival.

She got there quickly and Mimi had her taken immediately to Labor and Delivery. "Is Tony on his way?" She asked as the Nurses all bustled around attaching the monitoring equipment to her.

"Yes." Ziva said, gritting through another contraction. "They got called out on a case but were on their way back. They are coming directly here."

Tony and Gibbs showed up about ten minutes later. Gibbs had McGee and Dorneget drop them off and return to NCIS with the evidence. Tim and Dornie would then return with two cars, including Tony's.

"Hey, you. Talk about timing…" Tony kissed Ziva and she grabbed his hand. "How is it?" He stroked her forehead.

"It is painful, but I can bear it." Ziva said, already showing the strain on her face.

Tony looked at Mimi, worried. "Can't she have an epidural like she did with Karina?"

Mimi shook her head. "She is too far along, Tony. This baby will be born before it takes effect."

Tony looked at Ziva. "How long have you been having contractions?"

Ziva looked down. "Since about six this morning. It was not bad. I was getting ready to call you when my water broke. Then everything speeded up."

"I'll say. You're at ten centimeters. This baby is ready to come into this world right now." Mimi smiled.

They made the adjustments to turn the bed into delivery mode. Tony took his position at the head with Ziva, ready to support her when she needed to push.

"Ok, Ziva, with the next contraction, I want you to push."

"I want to push now!" Ziva yelled out.

"Wait for the contraction, Ziva." Mimi said calmly. Ziva nodded reluctantly; a thin sheen of perspiration on her face. She looked at Tony, who was looking down at her, worried but excited.

"I love you." He said simply. Ziva smiled. "I love you, too, ah…Ahhhhhhhh!"

"Push, push, push…you're doing great." Mimi coached. Ziva collapsed back as the contraction ended.

"This little rascal is not wasting any time. I think one or two more good pushes will do it, guys." Mimi looked at Tony and Ziva, smiling.

Tony kissed Ziva, and she smiled. "Ok, here comes another one…Ahhhhhhhh." She squeezed Tony's hand until she was almost crushing it.

"There we go, push…push…That was a good one. Head is out. Another mop of hair." Mimi grinned. She tilted the overhead mirror so they could see their son's head. Tony took a quick peek down below.

"Looks like Karina from what I can see." He said grinning widely.

"One more will do it, Ziva. When you're ready let me know." Mimi instructed.

Ziva nodded as Tony wiped her face. She started to sit up. "This is it." She said to Tony and Mimi.

"Good girl. Ok, you know what to do, push this baby out, Ziva. Oh, here we go! Time of birth 12:02 p.m. February 27th." Mimi was wiping down the baby. Tony cut the cord and grinned as he watched them swaddle his son.

"Here you go." Mimi handed the newborn baby boy to Ziva. She cuddled him close to her chest, taking in everything she could see without totally unwrapping him.

He was crying, sounding just like Karina had. Ziva adjusted her position and put him to her breast. His cries immediately stopped as he sucked contentedly.

Tony wiped the tears from his eyes. "He's beautiful, just like his mother." Tony kissed Ziva's lips. The baby stopped sucking and Ziva gave him to Tony. He expertly held him over his shoulder and burped him.

Mimi smiled and reached out for the baby so they could check him over. Reluctantly, Tony handed over his son and followed Mimi with his eyes as she took him to warmer.

They quickly unwrapped him and did their measurements and checked everything. "He's perfect." Mimi announced. "Six pounds, two ounces. Nineteen inches. And we have our first poopy pants!"

Tony shook his head, amazed as usual over how excited these Nurses could get over a baby pooping. They put a diaper on him and a little hat, swaddled him back up and handed him back to Ziva.

By this time, Ziva had delivered the placenta. Mimi did her final check. "No tears, you did good Ziva." Mimi smiled at her friends. She looked at Tony. "Who's out in the waiting room?"

"Just Gibbs. Tim and Dornie had to take the evidence back in. Tim will be heading back with my car, Dornie with another car to take Tim and Gibbs back."

Ziva looked up from the baby. "What about Karina?" She asked Tony.

Tony looked at his wife and newborn son. "Maybe I can have McGee bring her with him?" He felt foolish that they hadn't made a plan for Karina in case this happened the way it just did. For some reason, Tony just expected they would go to the hospital from home or at least Tony would be the one to take Ziva.

He pulled out his cell and called McGee. Before he could even ask, McGee suggested he bring Karina with him. "Thanks, McGee. You're a life saver." He hung up. "He already thought of it. McGee's the Man." Tony smiled.

Ziva's bed and room had been cleared and now looked like a regular post-partum hospital room. Mimi smiled at the sleeping baby. "Do you want Jethro to come back, or do you want to rest for a while?"

Ziva looked at Tony and smiled. "Please, I would like him to come back and meet our son."

Mimi grinned and went out to find her husband. She found him pacing, cup of coffee in hand. He saw her come through the doors and threw his coffee away.

"Well?" He asked hoarsely.

Mimi grabbed his hand. "Come on, meet your new grandson."

Gibbs got a goofy smile on his face and let Mimi lead him into Ziva's room. "Knock, knock." Mimi said as she quietly came through the door with Gibbs in tow.

Gibbs' eyes were fixated on the little bundle in Ziva's arms. "Hi." She said shyly.

Gibbs kissed her and then shook Tony's hand. Ziva handed the baby to Tony, who in turn put him into Gibbs' waiting arms. "Boss, I'd like to introduce your grandson, Jackson David DiNozzo."

Gibbs looked up at that. "Jackson?" He asked softly, feeling the tears prick his eyes.

Tony smile wide, glad to see the reaction they had hoped for. "Jack for short. We thought it would be nice to name our son after family."

Gibbs looked at the baby boy, who opened his eyes the minute he heard his name. Just like Karina, he looked into Gibbs' clear blue eyes. It was like they were communicating to each other, and formed a secret bond.

Gibbs felt the tears fall down his cheeks but he didn't care. "Hi Jack." He whispered softly, kissing the baby's head. "You're named after your Grampy. He will be so full of himself when he finds out."

_**Yeah, Jackson David DiNozzo has arrived. Hope everyone likes the names. And it is not Daveed, much to Ziva's relief, but Dayvid. Next up, Karina meets the baby.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Gibbs looked up at that. "Jackson?" He asked softly, feeling the tears prick his eyes.**_

_**Tony smile wide, glad to see the reaction they had hoped for. "Jack for short. We thought it would be nice to name our son after family." **_

_**Gibbs looked at the baby boy, who opened his eyes the minute he heard his name. Just like Karina, he looked into Gibbs' clear blue eyes. It was like they were communicating to each other, and formed a secret bond.**_

_**Gibbs felt the tears fall down his cheeks but he didn't care. "Hi Jack." He whispered softly, kissing the baby's head. "You're named after your Grampy. He will be so full of himself when he finds out."**_

Chapter Seven: "A Special Meeting"

The others laughed at that. "I hope you are glad that we named our son after your father and my father. It seemed…appropriate." Ziva said quietly. She was tired and sore, but very happy and content.

"Oh, yeah. I am deeply honored. Glad you didn't go with Jethro, Leroy or Gibbs though."

Tony chuckled. "Well, as Tim pointed out to me, if we used Jethro everyone would think we were naming him after his dog."

Gibbs laughed at that. "I didn't think of that. Smart move." Just then, Tony's cell rang.

"Hey. Ok, I'll be right out." He looked at Ziva. "Tim is here with Karina."

Gibbs handed the baby back to Tony. "I think Karina's introduction to her baby brother should be a private family affair. I'll go get her." He kissed Ziva again and left the room.

He found Tim sitting with Karina, looking out the windows. "Gwapa!" She called out when she caught sight of Gibbs. Tim stood up. "Well?"

"Everyone's happy and healthy. I'm taking Karina back to Tony and Ziva so she can meet her baby brother. I'll be right back." Gibbs took Karina's hand and she toddled with him through the doors and down the hall.

Mimi had been keeping watch. "Here they come." She whispered to them. She left the room. They heard Karina squeal in delight when she saw Mimi. They could hear some muffled talking outside the door, and then the door slowly opened.

Karina toddled through into the room, looking around. She saw Tony and tried to run to him, or at least her version of running. "Daddy!" She called out.

Tony scooped his daughter up into his arms and swung her around. He smothered her in kisses, making her giggle. He finally turned so she could see Ziva in the bed.

"Look Karina. Your baby brother is here with Mommy. Want to say hi?"

Karina grinned at her mommy but then looked surprised when the blankets she was holding moved and made noises. Tony gently sat down on the bed and put Karina in his lap.

Ziva kissed her daughter and opened up the wrappings. "See Karina? Here is your brother, Jack. Isn't he a pretty baby?"

Karina stuck her fingers in her mouth and looked at the baby. "Baby?" She asked, unsure.

"Yes, Punkin. That's your baby brother. Remember we told you Mommy was going to have a baby and you were going to have a little brother? Well, he decided to come today." Tony talked softly to his daughter.

Ziva moved over so Karina could sit next to her. Tony positioned her next to Ziva. Then they very gently placed the baby in her arms, supporting his head and weight.

Karina looked up in shock at both of her parents, then back down at the baby. Jack opened his eyes and looked at her, locking his gaze.

"Say hi to your baby brother, Karina." Ziva coached.

"Hi." Karina said softly. She had seen one of these before. They had them at her "work". She knew what people did with babies. She bent down and kissed him on the mouth.

"Ok, didn't expect that." Tony laughed. "Kiss him on the head, Sweetie, like this." Tony bent down and kissed his son's forehead. Karina watched him closely and imitated him.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other. So far it was going well.

Mimi poked her head in. "How's it going?"

Tony waved her in. "Tell McGee he can come back as well."

In less than three minutes, Gibbs, Mimi and Tim were in the room, watching Karina hold her brother.

Tim and Mimi took multiple pictures with their phones, laughing as they shared the photos with each other. Tim had called Abby as soon as they had dropped Tony off at the hospital. He quickly sent her several pictures.

He no sooner hit "send" when his phone rang. "Hi Abbs." He said, smiling.

"Oh, my God Timmy. They look so adorable! What's his name, are they ok? Of'course they're ok, Karina wouldn't be holding him if there were any problems. That happened so fast! Is Ziva ok?" She finally had to take a breath. He had put her on speaker, so everyone had heard her rambling.

"Everything is great, Abby." Tony called out. "His name is Jackson David. We're going to call him 'Jack'. Karina is still a little shell shocked but so far she seems to like him."

"Oh, Tony! Is Ziva ok? Ziva are you ok?"

Ziva smiled tiredly. "I am fine, Abby. He did come very quickly, much quicker than I expected. But we are doing well. He has already fed and pooped."

Tony shook his head. There was that fascination with baby poop again. Maybe someday he would get it, but for today all he cared about was his beautiful family. Tony took the baby from Karina, who at first didn't want to let him go.

"Be careful, Sweetie. Nice and gentle. He is very little and we need to be very nice to him. Let Daddy hold him, ok?"

Karina let him go so Tony could pick him up. He took him over so McGee could hold him. Tim smiled down at the baby.

"Hi Jack. I'm your Uncle Tim. Aunt Abby is dying to meet you." Jack yawned and Tim chuckled.

"Yes I am! When will you leave the hospital? You need to come here first before you go home." Abby whined through the phone.

Tony and Ziva looked at Mimi. "If things look good, I don't see why you can't leave tomorrow. But I'll decide tomorrow." She added.

Ziva cuddled Karina, who was watching her Uncle Tim with "her" baby. "Do you like your baby brother, Karina?" Ziva ran her fingers through Karina's curls. Karina looked at her mommy and nodded her head up and down. "Baby." She said. She struggled to a standing position and leaned against Ziva shoulder.

Ziva kissed her daughter. "You are such a good girl. I am very proud of you." Karina grinned, her fingers in her mouth. She didn't understand what her mommy was saying, but she knew from her tone of voice and facial expression that she was happy with Karina. That's all she needed to know.

Jack started fussing and Tim handed him back to Tony, who handed him to Ziva. Realizing that Ziva was probably going to feed the baby, Tim excused himself. "Dornie should be here by now to take me back. Congrats you three. He's beautiful." Tim waved goodbye. Gibbs walked out with him, not needing to be in there while Ziva was breastfeeding.

Ziva opened the front flap and put the baby to her breast. Karina watched in fascination as the baby made sucking noises. "Do you remember doing that, Karina?" Tony asked.

She looked at her daddy, then back at the baby. She surprised them by going to Ziva's other breast and trying to latch on. Ziva looked at Mimi in surprise.

Mimi chuckled. "I have to say I didn't expect Karina to try to breast feed again, but it is not uncommon. She may not remember how to do it. As long as you are comfortable with it, let her play at it. If she gets some milk, great, it won't take away from what the baby is getting. And it will be comforting to her. But take her lead on it. Don't push it, and don't push her away."

"Wow." That was all Tony could come up with. "Do you think she will refuse the bottle?"

Mimi shook her head. "I doubt it. She would have to be getting quite a good latch and milk supply for that to happen."

"Here, I have to put these on you." She put a hospital bracelet on Tony and a Big Sister bracelet on Karina. She smiled as she saw both babies were drowsy, Jack already asleep and Karina a close second.

"It's been a big day for her. She may not sleep well tonight, since mommy won't be home. But she shouldn't be too much trouble." Mimi was talking more to Tony than to Ziva.

"I'll let you rest. If you want, we can take Karina home with us so you can stay. But you should go home tonight and be with her."

Tony looked at Ziva and their children. "Thanks Mimi, that would be great. I would like to stick around until they kick me out."

"Don't stay that late; they won't ever kick you out because you are my family." Mimi chuckled.

Tony gently picked up Karina. She laid her head on his shoulder. "Give Mommy a kiss bye-bye." He told her. Karina kissed Ziva on the lips. "Bye my love, see you soon." Ziva whispered to her daughter.

Tony and Mimi walked back out into the waiting area. Gibbs looked up as they came over.

"I told Tony and Ziva we would take Karina for now until Tony gets home later, if that's ok with you."

Gibbs took Karina from Tony. "Of'course it is, but I'm going back to work. Are you staying here or going home?" He asked Mimi.

Mimi hesitated. "I was going to stay here at least two more hours. Just to make sure everything is ok with Ziva and Jack." She turned to Tony when she sensed his tension.

"It's just routine. I don't sign off on my patients until at least three hours post-delivery."

Tony relaxed. Gibbs smiled. "I'll just take Karina back to day care, and then bring her home when I leave. How does that sound?"

"Thanks, Boss. I guess we didn't think about this part too much." Tony admitted, much to his embarrassment.

"Of'course you didn't. You expected Ziva to give birth on the weekend, while you were at home and had things under control." Gibbs gave him a light head slap.

"Thank you, Boss." Tony repeated himself.

"Ok, kiddo. Ready to go back to work?" Karina had woken up a bit by now and was happy to see her grandpa again. She placed her hands on his face and kissed him.

Gibbs touched her nose. "I'll take that as a yes. Give me a call, Tony, when you are heading home." Gibbs waved and took off, Karina babbling away at him, Tim and Dornie following him.

They got out to the car and Gibbs realized he didn't have a car seat for Karina. "Damn, the car seat is in Tony's car."

Tim piped up. "No it isn't. When we got here, I went ahead and took it out and put it in the Agency car. I kind of expected we would be taking Karina back with us."

Gibbs looked at McGee with pride. "Good for you, Tim. You're acting like a Daddy already."

Tim blushed and stammered a bit, but was pleased by the remark. Gibbs strapped Karina in and she stared at Dornie the whole ride back to NCIS.

"I don't think she likes me." Dorneget said nervously.

Gibbs looked surprised. "Why would you say that?" He turned around and winked at Karina.

"She's kind of giving me this look. It reminds me of Agent DiNozzo, Ziva, when she is sure she is in the presence of the enemy."

Gibbs and McGee laughed at that. "She does occasionally have these 'Ziva looks' that scare me too, Dornie." McGee admitted.

"Like mother, like daughter." Gibbs murmured. "Just talk to her, Dorneget. She likes everybody."

By the time they got back to NCIS, Dornie was singing "The Wheels on the Bus" and Karina was clapping and laughing.

"See? Friends for life." Gibbs smiled.

"Can I hold her?" Dornie gulped.

Gibbs eyed him, sizing him up. "If she'll come to you, sure."

Gibbs unbuckled her from her car seat, and then stepped back. Dornie held out his arms to her. Karina looked at Gibbs, puzzled, but seemed to shrug it off and allowed Dornie to pick her up.

Dornie had this big grin on his face as he carried Karina into the building. He brought her up to the bullpen and sat down with her at his desk.

"Is she going to do your work for you, Dorneget?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, no, Boss. Sorry, Boss."

"Put her down." Gibbs said. "Come to Grandpa, Karina." He said once she was off of Dorneget's lap. She grinned and toddled over to Gibbs. He hoisted her up onto his lap and let her play with the keyboard.

He picked up the phone and called downstairs to the lab. "Hi Lily. Everything went fine. Yep, six pounds two ounces. Jackson David. Yeah, I know. I'll call him soon. His head will swell so big, he won't be able to fit through the door. Huh? No, I have Karina right now. Ok, see you later."

Gibbs hung up and called Vance. "Director, Agents DiNozzo just had their son, so Ziva will be starting her maternity leave. Yes, that's my plan. I'm not sure what DiNozzo is planning regarding time off, certainly out today and tomorrow I would think. I'll let you know as soon as I know. Yeah, cute as Karina. Jackson David. Uh-huh, me too. Thanks, Leon."

Gibbs kissed Karina. "Want to call Grampy?" Karina nodded her head "yes". Gibbs called his dad and was relieved he picked up on the second ring. He always worried when it took him too long to answer the phone.

"Hi Dad. No everything's fine, wanted to let you know that Ziva had the baby. Well, yeah a little bit, but they are fine. Yep, that's another reason why I called. They named him after you, Jackson David. Ah, Dad, don't cry…Geesh." Gibbs had to take the phone away from his ear.

"What? Yeah, if you are up to driving down, the Bris is next week some time. I don't have the details yet. If you aren't up to driving, I can come up and get you. Ok, well, let me know. I'm sure they'll want you to be there. I will, Dad. Love you, too. Say hi to Karina." Gibbs put his phone next to Karina's ear. Her eyes opened wide as she listened to Jackson Gibbs talk to her. She babbled something back, and then kissed the phone.

"She kissed the phone, Dad. Thought you'd like to know that. Yeah, ok, bye." Gibbs put his phone down. "I think that's all the calls I need to make, Karina. What do you think?"

Dorneget had watched this exchange with growing confusion. Gibbs was the toughest, roughest, most bad-ass Agent he had ever worked with and here he was baby-talking with a toddler. He never considered ever having a child, although gay couples had children all the time.

He just never thought of himself as the "parental" type. But he was envious of the relationship Gibbs had with this little child, at the influence she had made on his life. If a child could do that for Gibbs, what wonderful things could be in store for him?

Gibbs' phone rang again. "Yeah, Gibbs. Ok, be right up." He hung up. "Come on, Karina. Let's go see the Director."

"Drec!" Karina announced.

Tim chuckled at Karina's attempt to say "Director". "I hope she doesn't call him that, Boss." He smiled.

Gibbs looked at Karina. "I don't know, I think it fits. Don't you, Princess?"

Karina nodded her head up and down, agreeing with her grandpa.

**Walter Reed**

Ziva had drifted off to sleep, so Tony was walking quietly, gently holding his newborn son.

"I'm already the best Daddy that there is, so you are going to have the best life you can have. This is between you and me, but things were getting just a little too girly in the house. Oh, don't get me wrong. I love your Mommy and your big Sister more than anything in the world. And you have a girl doggy, too. Her name is Bridget, but they wouldn't let her come today. You'll meet her tomorrow." Tony smiled and kissed his son's head.

"I'm going to teach you to play baseball, and football and basketball and any sport you like. Whatever you want to do, I'm going to be there right with you, all the way. I'm never going to leave you anywhere. I'm never going to send you away. And whatever you want to be when you grow up, that will be fine with me, as long as you are happy." Tony took a deep breath, and pinched his eyes.

"I'm going to teach you all about James Bond, and Jack Nicholson, yes he has the same name as you, but that was an accident. I'm going to teach you that music pretty much died in 1977. Not because that year we lost Elvis and Groucho and Maria Callas; Bing Crosby and almost all of Lynyrd Skynyrd. No, the music died because that was the year your grandmother died. Oh, I wish she was here to see you and Karina."

He looked down at his four hour old son, marveling at how perfect and beautiful he was. The baby was awake, looking solemnly at his father. Tony touched his soft light brown hair, and caressed his cheek with a finger. "Jackson David DiNozzo, I will always be your Daddy and love you with all my heart."

_**Wow! What a wonderful response to the last chapter. Thank you so much! Hope you like Karina and Jack's meeting. And Tony's heart to heart with his son… **_


	8. Chapter 8

"_**I'm going to teach you all about James Bond, and Jack Nicholson, yes he has the same name as you, but that was an accident. I'm going to teach you that music pretty much died in 1977. Not because that year we lost Elvis and Groucho and Maria Callas; Bing Crosby and almost all of Lynyrd Skynyrd. No, the music died because that was the year your grandmother died. Oh, I wish she was here to see you and Karina."**_

_**He looked down at his four hour old son, marveling at how perfect and beautiful he was. The baby was awake, looking solemnly at his father. Tony touched his soft light brown hair, and caressed his cheek with a finger. "Jackson David DiNozzo, I will always be your Daddy and love you with all my heart."**_

Chapter Eight: "Revelations"

Ziva had opened her eyes and listened quietly as Tony shared his special moment with their son. She smiled and felt the tears glistening as she realized what he was saying.

"You are a wonderful father, Tony." Ziva whispered softly.

Tony looked up. "Oh, hey. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you." He bent over and kissed his wife, still maintaining a tight hold on his son.

Ziva scooted herself up into a sitting position. "You did not. I just woke up and heard you talking to Jack. That was very sweet, what you said."

She reached up and caressed Tony's cheek. "You will always take care of us, and we will always love you." Tony bent his head and didn't try to stop the tears.

"You know, I never realized how much I still held back about my Dad until today. I mean, we're _ok_. But it still hurts you know? Of'course you know." Tony knew Ziva still had unresolved issues with Eli David, even though he had embraced her family and her new life and was even participating.

Ziva had called him about an hour ago, to let him know Jack had been born. The Bris would be next Thursday, as it had to take place eight days after the baby was born. Tony was confused about it being only seven days later until Ziva explained that the Hebrew "day" started at sunset the day before and since Jack was born before sunset, he was actually born yesterday or something like that.

Anyway, next Thursday was the big day. Tony would need to rely a lot on Director David to coach him through this ceremony, although Ziva assured him that the Rabbi would explain everything thoroughly.

Eli David would arrive on Monday. He had already decided he would stay at the Israeli Embassy, so as to not place a burden on them as parents of a newborn. They had tried to talk him out of it, explaining that they were more than happy to have him stay with them, but he was adamant.

The same with Tony's dad. Sr. was thrilled to hear that the baby had come and all was well. If he was upset that he was not named "Anthony D. DiNozzo, III" he didn't show it. He too decided to come down from New York and would be arriving on Sunday.

He also decided it would be best to stay at a hotel, not wanting to intrude on their new little family, but Tony believed he probably didn't want his sleep interrupted by a crying newborn. Not that Tony blamed him.

Jack woke up and started crying, a piercing scream that surprised Tony and Ziva. "Wow, someone is _upset_. Glad you got a great set of lungs there, little guy. Let's check the diaper situation here."

Tony laid him down in the bassinet and checked. "Nope, guess it's time for Mommy again, huh?" He picked up the baby and kissed his forehead. He placed Jack into Ziva's waiting arms. She quickly put him to her breast and he started nursing, acting starved.

"Wow, look at him go. What a big boy you are!" Tony was beaming with pride. Ziva just smiled and shook her head at him. She spoke softly to the baby, telling him how much he was loved and about his big sister.

"He _does_ look just like Karina, although I do think his hair is a bit lighter, and perhaps not as curly." Ziva mused as she gently caressed Jack's head. She looked up at Tony. "He definitely has you mouth, like Karina."

Tony chuckled. "And your eyes and cheekbones, guess we'll have to wait to see if he has my piercing hazel green or your melting pools of chocolate brown."

Ziva shook her head at Tony's silly description of their eye color. "Oh! I didn't get the chance to tell you earlier, things happened so fast and Mimi was here." Tony looked alert at that.

"What are you talking about?" Tony sat down.

"When you went out in the field I went down and visited with Lily. I casually brought up Mimi and asked how she was."

"What did she say?" Tony asked, worried.

"She was shocked I asked, and was very alarmed. I mentioned the head injury and Tony, she seemed glad I thought it was that! She denied anything was wrong. Tony! Whatever it is, it has nothing to do with her head injury. Lily was clearly hiding something. In fact, I think we need to talk to Gibbs about her getting some training in successfully withholding evidence, because right now…she sucks at it." Ziva was distressed.

Tony went over and sat with her on the bed and placed his arm around her, careful to not disturb his nursing son. "Ok, first of all, I want you to relax and only worry about baby poop. Second, when I see Gibbs tonight I will get him alone and make him come clean."

He lifted Ziva's chin. "Mimi was great today. She looked good and acted fine, so whatever it is can't be too bad."

Ziva's shoulders sagged. "You are right, you take care of it. I do not want the baby picking up on my stress. This is a happy day." She kissed the top of Jack's head, and shifted him to her other breast.

"You better go home and spend time with Karina. Her world as she knows it has just ended. Give her a special night tonight."

Tony kissed Ziva soundly. "As much as I hate to leave you here, I know Karina needs me. You call me later, I don't care what time it is. I'll call you when I pick up Karina. I love you. Thank you for making me the happiest man alive."

Ziva kissed him back. "I love you, too. Give Karina a big kiss for me, yes?"

"Yes." Tony grinned. He bent down to kiss his son. "I really don't want to leave you, but your big sister is not that big yet. She still needs her daddy."

"She will always need her daddy, Tony." Ziva said softly. Tears sprang to Tony's eyes.

"Yeah, she better." He gave Ziva another quick kiss and headed for the door. He threw one look back and smiled at his family. "See you tomorrow."

"We'll be here, waiting for you." Ziva said, smiling back in return.

Tony finally tore himself away. Once he was in his car, he couldn't get home soon enough. He called Gibbs and found out they were already home. Gibbs would bring Karina to the house once Tony got there. Gibbs wanted to pick up the cradle anyway, so he could carve Jack's name into it.

Tony pulled into the garage and threw his keys on the kitchen island when he got inside. Bridget immediately ran to him, jumping up and down with all four legs leaving the floor.

"Hey, Girl! Did you have a good day sleeping on the bed? I'll bet you did. What's your pleasure? Dinner first, or outside? Oh, I know you, you little vixen. You want to eat first, don't you? Here you go!"

Tony put her bowl down, and he had to laugh as she devoured her food. "Just like you haven't eaten in a week. We have a surprise for you tomorrow. A new baby in the house, think you can handle that?"

Bridget cocked her ears back and forth as Tony was talking to her. She ran to the French doors, impatiently. Tony laughed again and opened the doors for her. She ran out barking and chasing the few birds that had the nerve to be on her lawn. She finally settled down and started sniffing around.

Tony left her in private and went and got the mail. He waved as Gibbs drove up with Karina. He waited until the car came to a stop, and then opened up the back seat.

"Daddy!" Karina clapped her hands. Tony grinned as he unbuckled her and pulled her out of the car seat.

"Here, I got that Tony." Gibbs unlatched the car seat and took it out of the car. Together they all went inside the house. Tony put Karina down and let her toddle around a little bit while he let Bridget back into the house. Bridget ran first to Gibbs, to get some attention, and then ran to Karina.

She squealed and began patting her and pulling her around with her. Gibbs watched Karina play with the dog.

"Got time for a beer, Boss?" Tony asked.

Gibbs looked up and nodded. "Karina's already had dinner, so she just needs to get a bath and go to bed, or whatever you want to do with her tonight."

Tony nodded, understanding this was to be a special evening between father and daughter. This would be the last night she would be an only child in this house. He handed Gibbs the bottle and they clinked theirs together.

"To Family, DiNozzo." Gibbs said as he took a sip.

"To Family." Tony agreed and took a long pull on his own bottle. "Boss, can I ask you something personal?"

Gibbs froze for a second, knowing where Tony was probably going with this. He forced himself to relax. "You can ask, I don't guarantee I will answer." He answered honestly.

Tony nodded, hoping he wasn't overstepping his boundaries. He took a quick look to make sure Karina was doing ok. "It's about Mimi. Boss, is she ok?"

Gibbs tried to not look disturbed. He took another sip of his beer. "Why would you ask that?"

Tony sighed. He should have known this wouldn't be a simple "yes" or "no" scenario. "Well, when you were over for dinner, I noticed she seemed to have a moment where, I'm not exactly sure. She looked like she didn't feel well for a few moments, like she had some sort of spell of something. It quickly passed. Then you seemed to kind of hover over her as well."

Gibbs' heart sank at that. He thought he was being discreet. He still just looked at Tony.

"Ziva went down to see Lily today, before she went into active labor obviously. We thought maybe Mimi was having problems after being shot; you know bad headaches or something. Ziva asked Lily and Lily acted all nervous and like she was, maybe hiding something. By the way, Ziva thinks Lily needs training in keeping secrets, thinks it will come in handy in her career." Tony tried to sound nonchalant about it all, making Gibbs smile over his comment regarding training for Lily.

"Ok, Tony. I get that you and Ziva are worried. I can tell you that Mimi is not sick, but there is something going on. You have to promise you won't say anything. We wanted to wait before we said anything to anyone, but you guys are too good at finding out things you have no business knowing."

Tony felt a mild rebuke at that. "As long as Mimi is not sick, that's enough, Boss. You don't have to say anything more than you want to."

Gibbs shook his head. "No, Mimi and I already talked. She doesn't want you guys talking and speculating about her behind her back. Does Tim think something is going on, too?"

Tony nodded his head. Gibbs sighed and looked at Karina.

"Ok, I don't know how to say this except to just say it: Mimi is pregnant."

Tony stopped midway bringing his beer to his mouth. "Preg…nant?" Tony asked, positive he had heard incorrectly.

"Yeah, Tony. Mimi and I are going to have a baby. Close your mouth; I appreciate how shocked you are. We both pretty much had the same reaction."

"W-o-w!" Tony finally got his voice. "Way to go, Boss. I mean, congratulations. I take it then, this wasn't planned?"

Gibbs glared at Tony. "Of'course it wasn't planned, but sometimes life has other ideas. She had a dizzy spell the other night, that's what you saw. She's due the end of September."

Tony quickly did the math is his head. "But that would mean…"

"Yep, honeymoon. We know exactly when it happened." Gibbs looked at Tony, daring him to ask.

Tony just grinned and shook his head. He knew better than to step in it. "So, can I at least tell Ziva? Hey, does Lily know then?"

Gibbs went and picked up Karina, ready to give his goodbyes. "Yes, you can tell Ziva, but no one else. I'll tell McGee myself. And yes, Lily has known for a little while, not too long." Gibbs kissed Karina.

"Time for Grandpa to go home, Princess. Night-night." He kissed her cheek.

Karina as usual grabbed his face and kissed his lips. "Gwapa." She said softly, leaning her head on his shoulder. Gibbs looked at Tony, feeling emotional. Tony smiled back, appreciating how Gibbs had probably been reeling at this turn of events.

And Mimi! Damn, that was such a shock, but it explained everything. He took his daughter from Gibbs. "Drive careful, Boss." Tony said. He shook his hand. "And thanks for taking care of my daughter. Give Mimi a kiss for us."

Gibbs smiled slightly. "That's what family is for, DiNozzo." He picked up the cradle that Tony had brought down for him and turned to leave. He looked back at Tony and Karina, now cuddling. He smiled again and headed home.

He pulled up into his driveway and took a deep breath. He would have to tell Mimi that their secret was out. He hoped she wouldn't be too upset. Reluctantly, he made his way into the house. He looked around downstairs, but didn't see Mimi. Frowning, he headed upstairs.

He found her fast asleep in their bed, an open book still in her hand. He smiled and took the book from her. He pulled the covers up and kissed her forehead. She stirred slightly. "Everything ok?" She asked, still half asleep.

"Everything's fine." He said. It could wait until tomorrow.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Tony bathed Karina, making it extra fun with tons of bubbles. She laughed and screeched as Tony made a "beard" on his face.

"Daddy!" She giggled. Karina loved her baths, so he made it last a little longer than it usually did. He rinsed her off and wrapped her up into a towel.

He dried her quickly so she wouldn't get cold. It was still very cold outside, with temperatures in the high twenties. He dressed her in some pajamas with feet.

She loved these pajamas, rubbing her feet on the floor as she toddled. Tony scooped her up and took her into the bedroom with him. He snuggled in bed with her and read her a story.

She was fascinated by the story, especially when Tony made funny voices. Every once in a while, she would look at the door. Tony figured she was looking for her mommy.

He kept her in his lap, and cuddled her and told her what a good girl she was until she finally fell asleep. Tony told her Mommy and Jack would be coming home tomorrow and she needed to be a big girl.

He knew Karina didn't understand what he was saying, but he felt he needed to comfort her and tell her what was going to happen. In a way, he felt bad for her. She would no longer be the only baby in the house, and Ziva would need to spend a lot of time with Jack for quite a while, taking away from her time with Karina.

It would be up to Tony to make sure their daughter did not become upset over this new arrangement. He had to decide how long he was going to take off of work, but that could wait until Ziva and the baby came home and they discussed it.

Gibbs had dropped off both his and Ziva's paperwork for maternity leave this evening when he brought Karina home. All Ziva needed to do was sign hers, Tony still needed to put in the dates. He looked at his sleeping daughter.

Moving quietly, he got out of bed and carried her to her crib. Gently laying her down, he placed a soft kiss on her head, and put Bobo with her. He headed back into the bedroom, and gently caressed Ziva's side of the bed. He grabbed his cell phone and called her.

"Hi." Ziva said softly. "We just ate again. He is ravenous." She chuckled lightly.

Tony smiled. "Is he going to keep us up all night?"

"Probably, until he settles down. How is Karina?"

"She's fine, asleep. She misses her mommy. I miss her mommy too." Tony leaned back into the pillows.

"We miss you, Tony. Jack says hi."

Tony chuckled. "Talking so soon? Well, that is to be expected. He has great genes. Are you too tired to talk?" Tony was bursting with the news he wanted to share.

"No, I am not too tired. Did you talk to Gibbs?" She sounded more awake.

Tony grinned. "Damn you're good. Yes, I talked to Gibbs and you are never going to believe what is going on."

Ziva sat up a little bit. "Is anything wrong?" She sounded worried.

"I guess it depends on your point of view. Are you sitting? Of'course you are, you should be in bed…"

"Tony!" Ziva hissed, not wanting to wake up the baby.

Tony took a deep breath. "Mimi is pregnant."

Ziva's mouth was open, stunned at this revelation. "Gibbs is going to be…"

"Yep, Gibbs is going to be a daddy." Tony said gleefully.

_**The secret is out! Now Gibbs has to let Mimi know, and tell Tim and Abby, and of'course Ducky! **_


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the delay in updates, it's been a horrendous week. **

**Usual disclaimers: I own nothing except my own characters.**

"_**I guess it depends on your point of view. Are you sitting? Of'course you are, you should be in bed…"**_

"_**Tony!" Ziva hissed, not wanting to wake up the baby.**_

_**Tony took a deep breath. "Mimi is pregnant."**_

_**Ziva's mouth was open, stunned at this revelation. "Gibbs is going to be…"**_

"_**Yep, Gibbs is going to be a daddy." Tony said gleefully.**_

Chapter Nine: "Spreading the News"

Gibbs woke up and looked at Mimi, still sound asleep. She was starting to get fatigued more easily. He was so proud of how she had been able to keep going during Ziva's labor and delivery.

He smiled as he thought about yesterday. _Jackson David_. The name had been a total surprise. He had worked into the night, carving "Jackson" into the other side of the cradle.

As a surprise, he had also earlier made Karina her own rocking chair, so she could rock her baby while Ziva was rocking Jack. Mimi thought it was a great idea and would make her feel like she was helping. Gibbs smiled as he thought how excited she would be to get it.

He felt Mimi stir beside him. He rolled on his side and smiled at her. "Good morning." He kissed her softly.

"Well, good morning to you Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Mimi was surprised to see her husband still in bed with her. She looked over at the alarm clock, and turned back to him.

"Shouldn't you be at work? Or at least, be on the way there?" Mimi raised an eyebrow.

Gibbs put his arm around her waist, stopping to caress her stomach. "I had a late night last night, so I decided to sleep in." He nuzzled her neck.

"Ah, the cradle. Did you get that done already?" Mimi rolled on her side and faced him.

Gibbs kissed her again. "Yep."

Mimi grinned. "Why give a long drawn-out answer when a single word will do?"

"Yep." Gibbs grinned at her. Mimi chuckled and kissed him back.

"Are you going to work today? Or are you so overwhelmed at being a new grandpa that you just can't face the day?" Mimi inquired, teasing him.

Gibbs sighed. He really would like to stay home, but that wasn't possible, not today anyway. "No, I'm going. But I wanted to see you before I went in."

Mimi frowned at that. She searched his eyes, trying to read his mind. Gibbs stroked her temple. "Tony asked me about you last night." He said slowly.

Mimi's eyes opened wide. "Oh crap. Did you tell him?"

Gibbs looked into her eyes, looking apologetic. "He knew too much. He saw you have your dizzy spell at their house and me hovering all over you. And apparently, Ziva quizzed Lily yesterday before she went into labor and Lily didn't cover herself too well. By the way, Ziva thinks Lily needs to some training in how to lie convincingly."

Mimi had been listening with growing alarm. At his final statement, she dropped her mouth. "Training…to lie better? What the…?" She looked at Gibbs and saw he was smiling. "Oh, you and your Agents. They know too well how to do their jobs."

She sighed. "Ok, well if you told Tony, then you have to tell the others. I'm almost eight weeks, so I only have four weeks until the end of my first trimester. I feel good, although I am getting tired more easily and the morning sickness has been annoying."

"So, you aren't mad? I know you're disappointed our secret's out, but you aren't mad are you?" Gibbs grabbed her hand.

Mimi kissed him. "No, I'm not mad. In fact, it's a bit of a relief to not have to pretend anymore. I just hope…how did Tony take the news?"

"Well, he was surprised, but he is happy for us. He won't say anything to the others before I get the chance. Except for Ziva, that is."

Mimi nodded. "Ok, well I guess I better prepare myself for the fallout." She noticed Gibbs' look of concern. "Oh, I don't mean that in a bad way. I know everyone will be happy. I just don't want them to be, I don't know…overprotective."

Gibbs sighed. He knew Mimi hated being fussed over. "Don't worry. I will make sure they don't act like themselves."

Mimi laughed out loud at that. "Oh my, Jethro, I do love you." She kissed him deeply. "And I love your team. They are my friends, too you know."

Gibbs smiled. "Yeah, I know. They love you too, Mimi. They just want everything to be ok."

"I know. And the longer you delay going into work, the more they will worry. Get up!" She commanded. "I need to get up anyway. I'll check on Ziva around noon, and if I am happy with how Jack is doing, they can go home today."

Gibbs got up and put his arms around his wife. "You are the most amazing person I know." He looked deeply into her eyes.

Mimi blushed. "You better get ready or you are going to be _really_ late!" Mimi chuckled.

"Yeah? Ok, then." Gibbs gave her a lingering kiss, and pulled her down to him.

**NCIS**

McGee and Dorneget looked up when Gibbs got off the elevator.

"Hey, Boss! I was just getting ready to call. Is everything ok?" McGee asked, trying not to sound like he was prying.

"Yeah, I know I'm late. Thanks for the concern. Anything going on?" Gibbs put his coffee down.

"No Boss, it's quiet. We're catching up on our reports." Dorneget volunteered.

"That's good, Dorneget. Why don't you keep doing that while I borrow McGee for a few minutes? McGee, with me." Gibbs headed for the elevator.

McGee looked at Dorneget in surprise, but got up and followed Gibbs into the elevator. He tried not to panic when Gibbs hit the stop button.

"McGee, have you been worried about Mimi?" Gibbs got right to the point.

"What? Mimi? Why no…well, actually…maybe yes. Sort of." McGee started to sweat. "Sorry, Boss. I know how private you are, but we just got worried that something was wrong because…"

"Because we had a doctor's appointment and you overheard me telling Mimi I didn't want her to overdo things, and then Tony saw something, so all of you have been comparing notes."

"Well, when you say it like _that_, it does sound like we're gossiping or something. Sorry, Boss. We didn't mean to poke our noses in, we were just worried." Tim looked troubled.

"Aw Hell, McGee. I'm not mad. I know you mean well. Tony cornered me last night, and I came clean with him, so I need to tell you what's going on, so you can quit worrying. But you can only tell Abby, and do not, repeat, _do not tell anyone else_. Understood?"

"Understood, Boss." Tim was really worried now. "What is it?"

Gibbs looked the younger Agent in the eye. "Mimi is pregnant." He watched McGee closely to gauge his reaction.

McGee did not fail to please. He looked at Gibbs with his mouth slightly open for about thirty seconds. Then he tilted his head to the side and started to say something, but nothing came out.

Gibbs slapped his arm, smiled and hit the switch, setting the elevator back in motion. Tim finally found his voice. "So Mimi…"

"Yeah, McGee. End of September. Any more questions?"

"No, I'm good." Tim nodded, staring at the elevator doors.

"Good! Good talk, McGee." Gibbs got off the elevator, and headed for the stairs. _"One down, two to go."_ He thought to himself, smiling at McGee's predictable response.

Vance looked up and nodded when Gibbs came into this office. He held up his finger. "Yes Sir. That's correct. I'll look forward to it." He hung up his phone.

"How's the newest addition?" Vance smiled.

"He looks just like his big sister." Gibbs smiled. "Mimi's going to check on them around noon. If all is well, they can go home today." Gibbs sat in the chair and settled in.

Vance looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Is there something you want to talk about, Gibbs?"

Gibbs looked around, trying to appear nonchalant. "Gibbs! What's on your mind?" Vance tried to not look amused.

Gibbs rubbed his face and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Mimi is pregnant."

Vance stared at Gibbs for a full thirty seconds, his eyes bugged out. Then he covered his mouth and turned his chair so he was looking out the window.

"Are you laughing, Leon?" Gibbs asked, incredulous.

"No." Vance squeaked out in a high pitched voice.

"You are! You are laughing at me! What the…" Gibbs glared at Vance as he turned back around, wiping the laugh tears that were streaming down his face.

"I'm sorry, Gibbs. I just…" His shoulders started shaking, trying to control his laughter.

Gibbs just stared at him in shock. Slowly, he started smiling and soon he was laughing with Vance. "Oh, God. You know, it's really _not _funny, Leon." Gibbs chuckled.

"No, I guess not, but it's such a rare occurrence that I can laugh _at you_ I take every special moment I can get." Leon wiped his eyes. "How's Mimi taking it? Oh, my, wait until I tell Jackie." He looked closely at Gibbs. "I _can_ tell Jackie, right?"

"Well, she's doing better. She was really upset at first, understandably. And yes, you can tell Jackie." Gibbs leaned back in the chair, picking invisible lint off of his jacket sleeve.

Vance looked seriously at his friend and colleague. "And what about you, Gibbs?"

Gibbs shrugged and slightly smiled. "It's grown on me. Now that we've had an ultrasound and we've seen the proof." He stood up and paced a bit.

"It's been a while for you, Jethro." Leon smiled, trying to show his support.

"It's not just that, Leon. I was a grunt when Shannon was pregnant with Kelly. If I wasn't at work, I was in the field for TAD or we were playing war games, preparing for the next conflict. I missed almost every if not all of Shannon's doctor's appointments. Hell, I wasn't even there for Kelly's birth. I was off with my battalion doing a short stint in the Mediterranean. I didn't even see her for the first time until she was about three weeks old." Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck.

Vance smiled sympathetically. "Almost like it's the first time, isn't it? But don't worry about thinking you're replacing Kelly." Gibbs looked up at that.

"I know you, Gibbs. You feel guilty that you weren't there for Kelly but you will be for this baby. It's ok to be happy, Jethro. It's ok to be there for Mimi and your child."

Gibbs stood still, breathing heavily. He was stunned by what Vance just said to him. _"Was he feeling guilty? Did he feel like he was betraying Kelly and Shannon by being happy?"_

"I never knew Shannon, and I doubt you'll ever tell me about her. But I know enough that she was an amazing woman to take you on." Vance stood up and walked over to Gibbs.

Gibbs had to smile at that and nod, in agreement. "You have no idea."

"But I do have an idea that she would want you to be happy. And you are. You will always love those two. This doesn't change that. But you have every right to live your life to the fullest. It was meant to be, Gibbs. Life isn't always neat and tidy and predictable. Things happen for a reason, for good and for bad. I think this is for good. What do you think?" Vance stood directly in front of Gibbs, staring him in the eye.

Gibbs stood up straight. "You're right, Leon. You just repeated basically what I said to Mimi when she was in denial about this. It's good."

"Well, then. You have plans to make, and furniture as well I imagine." Vance smiled as he patted Gibbs on the shoulder.

"That I do, Director. That I do." Gibbs shook his hand.

**Walter Reed Hospital**

"Knock, knock!" Mimi smiled as she entered Ziva's room. She was standing by the bassinet, changing Jack's diaper.

"How's it going, you two?" Mimi hugged Ziva and looked down at Jack.

"Well, he certainly takes after his father in the eating category. All he _does_ is eat." Ziva looked at Mimi, suddenly worried. "He acts like he's starved. Could he not be getting enough?"

Mimi grabbed his chart. "Well, he lost two ounces, but that's typical after birth. Do you feel he's getting a good latch?" She looked at Ziva.

Ziva looked down at her son, who was wide awake and looking around in that vague way that newborns do.

"Yes, he is definitely sucking and I can see that he is getting colostrum." Ziva knew her milk would not come in until probably tomorrow.

Mimi continued to look at the chart. "His blood sugar is fine. Let's take a look at you, you little stinker." Mimi bent over and examined the baby. Just then, Tony and Karina walked in.

"Hi! Mimi! Hi! Perfect timing." Tony grinned. He tried to not stare at Mimi, looking at her stomach as if he expected it to suddenly balloon out.

"Mommy!" Karina cried, suddenly seeing Ziva standing there. Ziva reached down and picked up her daughter.

"Hello my sweetness. Did you and Daddy have fun last night? I missed you so much!" Ziva covered her in kisses, making her laugh.

Tony came over and kissed her. "You look good. What's the verdict?" Tony had the car seat and bag with baby clothes with him, in anticipation that they would be released.

"I'm just checking Jack out now. When did he last eat, Ziva?" Mimi asked.

Ziva looked at the clock. "About an hour ago."

"I'd like to watch his next feeding. Call me when he is ready and wait for me. I'd like to see his reaction before and after feeding."

Tony frowned. "Is something wrong?" His face lost some of its color.

"I doubt it." Mimi quickly said. "Ziva is worried he is not getting enough to eat. I just want to observe and see if we need to supplement until her milk comes in." She patted him on the arm. "Don't worry. If that's all it is, it won't keep you from going home."

"But what if it isn't 'all it is'?" Tony asked, nervous that his family might have to stay.

Mimi looked at them, huddled together by the bassinet. She felt an overwhelming need to cry. Not out of fear that something was wrong. _"These damn hormones."_ She thought to herself

Tony looked over at her, and smiled, his fear forgotten. Mimi knew he was communicating that they _knew_, that it was ok, and if she wasn't ready to talk about it, well, that was ok too.

She gathered herself and smiled tentatively. "So, Jethro told you our news?" She said quietly.

It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room, then quickly re-inflated. Ziva rushed over to Mimi's side and hugged her fiercely.

"We are so happy for you. Excited and surprised…but very happy. You are happy as well, yes?" Ziva searched Mimi's eyes, concerned for her friend.

Mimi chuckled. "Yes, we are happy…and excited AND surprised. _Very surprised_. It took a bit to get used to, but…"

Tony put his arm around her. "Hey, we're here for you, OK? And it will probably take us a while to get used to it too. But I think it's great." Tony gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Mimi swore to herself as she felt the tears start to well up in her eyes. "You are such a wonderful, supportive family for Jethro…and for me. I know we will be just fine, knowing you have our backs."

Tony laughed. "That we do, right Ziva? Right, Karina?"

Karina laughed and clapped. "Kar-Li!" Mimi reached out and took the little girl in her arms. "My biggest fear is embarrassing our child by being so old. My mother had me later in life. She was often asked if I was her granddaughter. She was mortified by that."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other, not sure what to say at that. "Well, if anyone says that, you just punch out their lights, right Jack?" Tony said to his son, who was staring at him with his baby blue-gray eyes.

Mimi laughed at that. "Well, I don't think I'll go as far as that, but thanks for the vote of confidence." She put Karina down and turned her attention back to the baby.

"He seems pretty content at the moment. Let me go get started on your paper work and call me when he is ready to feed. I want to watch to see how he is doing."

"Ok, Mimi." Ziva said, taking her daughter back up into her arms. "We'll be here."

With a final wave and smile, Mimi left the room; feeling more relaxed and upbeat than she had in weeks. Maybe this would be ok after all, she thought happily to herself.

**NCIS**

"Hey Duck!" Gibbs called out as he entered the morgue. Ducky looked up in surprise.

"Jethro! I don't believe I have anything for you at this time." Ducky was at his desk, reading from a huge tome.

Gibbs looked around. "Where's Palmer?"

"Ah yes. Mr. Palmer is re-stocking the van. Do you need him?"

Gibbs considered his options, and decided he would actually rather just tell Ducky and let him fill Palmer in on the details. He shook his head. "No, I don't. But I need to talk to you, Duck."

Ducky closed his book, a look of concern etched on his features. "Is everything alright, Jethro? Is the baby…?"

Gibbs held up his hand. "Ziva and Jack are just fine…at least as far as I know." He looked at his watch. "Mimi should be there now to check on them and release them to go home." He pulled up a chair and sat next to his old friend.

"I need to tell you something and well…" Gibbs looked at Ducky.

"Jethro, what is it? You can tell me anything, you know that." Ducky looked surprised at Gibbs' reticence.

"I know, Duck. Mimi and I are expecting a baby." Gibbs said quietly.

Ducky looked closely at Gibbs, seeing if he was pulling his leg. But the serious expression on his face told him that this was no attempt at a practical joke. Ducky stood and grabbed Gibbs' hand.

"Jethro! My heartiest congratulations to the both of you! Mimi, is she well?" Ducky was beaming.

Gibbs' shook Ducky's offered hand. "She's doing great. We're both still a little shocked by the whole thing, but we're getting used to the idea. You can tell Palmer, but we aren't spreading it around the whole Navy Yard. I guess if Mimi comes in when she starts showing, then the cat will be out of the bag but until then…" Gibbs trailed off.

"Yes, well, I know how private you are. How far along is Mimi, if I may ask?" Ducky sat back down.

"Eight weeks. We were hoping to wait until we were past the first trimester, but I have an inquisitive group of Agents working for me who notice too many things and get worked up over it." Gibbs replied, smiling.

Ducky nodded in understanding. "It is to be expected, Jethro. They care about you…and Mimi."

Gibbs turned to leave. "Yeah, I know. That's why I keep them around." He chuckled. He felt lighter than he had in days. Now, he just needed to call Mimi and find out what was happening with Ziva and Jack.

Whistling, he took the elevator to the third floor. He changed his mind before he got there, and headed back down to Abby's lab. _"Better let Lily know what's going on, so she can relax."_ Gibbs thought to himself.

_**Thanks for the amazing support! Please continue to review and let me know what you think. I'll try to not let it be too long before the next update.**_


	10. Chapter 10

"_**Yes, well, I know how private you are. How far along is Mimi, if I may ask?" Ducky sat back down.**_

"_**Eight weeks. We were hoping to wait until we were past the first trimester, but I have an inquisitive group of Agents working for me who notice too many things and get worked up over it." Gibbs replied, smiling.**_

_**Ducky nodded in understanding. "It is to be expected, Jethro. They care about you…and Mimi."**_

_**Gibbs turned to leave. "Yeah, I know. That's why I keep them around." He chuckled. He felt lighter than he had in days. Now, he just needed to call Mimi and find out what was happening with Ziva and Jack.**_

_**Whistling, he took the elevator to the third floor. He changed his mind before he got there, and headed back down to Abby's lab. "Better let Lily know what's going on, so she can relax." Gibbs thought to himself. **_

Chapter Ten: "Welcome Home"

As soon as Gibbs left him, Tim ran outside so he could call Abby privately. He waited impatiently as the phone rang, but she didn't answer. Tim frowned and started pacing. He dialed again, hoping she had only been in the bathroom or something.

Much to his relief, Abby answered on the third ring. "Abby! What happened? Are you ok? I tried to call and you didn't answer." Tim tried to keep his voice from sounding too frantic.

"Chill, Timmy! I was in the little girl's room. I guess I better take my phone with me from now on. Is everything ok? You sound all worked up." Abby smiled at her husband, knowing how the little things could get his panties in a knot.

"Well, I sound worked up because my pregnant, bed-ridden wife didn't answer her phone." Tim answered, trying to get his heart-rate back to normal.

"Ok, I'm sorry. I will tape the damn thing to my body. Is anything else going on or did you just call to check on me?" Abby smoothed the comforter that was covering her and took a sip of iced tea.

"Abby, Gibbs just cornered me in the elevator. You are not going to believe what he told me." Tim was past his concern for Abby and brimming over with excitement.

"No! He is _not _retiring! I won't allow it!" Abby yelled into the phone.

Tim had to take the phone away from his ear, her voice was so loud. "Ok, I believe you. But that's not what he told me. Are you ready?"

"Timmy, what is up with you? I can't imagine anything that Gibbs would say to have you all crazed like this. Other than getting married, and he already did that." Abby rationalized.

"Crazed, huh? So, you can't think of anything else that would shock the hell out of you regarding Gibbs?" Tim teased her.

Abby frowned. "Is it something bad or good? Please don't tell me it's something bad, Timmy. That would be…bad."

Tim smiled. "Well, I guess it depends on your point of view, but generally speaking it's considered good."

Abby narrowed her eyes, thinking. "Timmy, I can't think of anything…wait, are you talking about Mimi as well?"

Tim nodded his head up and down, even though Abby couldn't see him. "Uh huh. Remember how we've been thinking something is going on with her?"

Abby sucked in her breath. "No…"

"Yes!" Tim said, the excitement in his voice betraying his feelings.

"No way." Abby responded.

"Way." Tim added.

"Oh my God! Mimi is pregnant?" Abby yelped. Tim sat down on the bench he had walked to, finally able to breathe normally.

"Yes…she…is! Can you believe it? Gibbs pulled me in the elevator a bit ago and told me. Apparently Tony asked him outright what was going on. So he's letting everyone know. Well, maybe not everyone. Family anyway."

Abby leaned her head back, thinking of the ramifications. "This is so…awesome, Tim! Do you know when Mimi is due?"

"Uh, I think Gibbs said September." Tim frowned, trying to remember. "Frankly Abby, I was so stunned by the news; he could have told me anything."

Abby giggled. "I can imagine. I can't wait to see them. Hey! Have you heard from Tony? Are Ziva and Jack coming home today?"

Tim shrugged. "No, I haven't heard anything yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I hear something. How about you? You doing ok?"

Abby sighed. "I'm bored, but we're fine. They were pretty active a while ago, but have settled down." Abby rubbed her swollen belly fondly.

"Ok, well, you be good and stay in bed. Like I said, I'll call when I hear from Tony and when I'm heading home. I love you, Abbs."

"I love you too, Timmy." Abby smiled into the phone.

**Abby's Lab**

"Hey, Lily!" Gibbs called out. Lily looked up from her computer screen.

"Hi Daddy! How's Mommy doing?" She bounced over to him and engulfed him in a big hug.

"She's doing just fine. Listen, I wanted to tell you that you don't have to worry about keeping our secret anymore."

Lily looked stricken. "What?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Gibbs immediately realized his error. "No, honey, Mom's fine. I meant we are letting people know about the baby."

Lily breathed a big sigh of relief. She then narrowed her eyes. "Why are you telling people? Mommy wanted to wait until she was done with her first trimester."

Gibbs shrugged. "I know. But the team was starting to ask questions. They figured out something was going on. We thought it would be better to tell them, rather than let them think something bad was happening."

Lily gasped at that. "Oh, no! Ziva asked me about Mom and I didn't do a very good job of deflecting her. Is this my fault?" Lily had tears in her eyes.

"Nah, we all let things slip. They just know how to put clues together." He kissed her forehead. "Tony and Ziva are going home today probably. Your mom is seeing them, oh about now." Gibbs looked at his watch. "I'll give her a call in about an hour to see what the verdict is."

**Walter Reed**

Jack finally started fussing, so Tony called and had Mimi paged. She showed up less than five minutes later, by which time Jack was clearly unhappy. Karina had her hands over her ears.

"He _is_ loud, isn't he? Great set of lungs." Mimi chuckled. "Ok, let him have some lunch. I'll just see how he latches on and observe his sucking."

Ziva opened her blouse and put the baby to her breast. Jack immediately latched on and started sucking greedily. Karina watched again with fascination. Tony picked her up so she would not try to breast feed herself again, since Mimi really needed to see how Jack was doing.

"Well, he has a good latch, his sucking reflex looks strong and I can see he is getting nourishment. How long does he stay at the breast?"

"Usually about five minutes on each breast." Ziva answered, smoothing her son's hair as she spoke.

Mimi nodded. "Do you feel like he's emptying your supply?"

Ziva shrugged slightly, not wanting to disturb the baby. "I switch him when he starts to get restless. Is that wrong?"

"No, it's fine. When your milk comes in, he'll get more, so he may stay at the breast longer." She straightened up. "I don't see any problems here, guys. As long as he has wet and poopy diapers, and stops feeding on his own, I would say he's getting enough. Now, if he has still lost weight when I see you in a week, we can revisit the feeding, but I think you guys are good to go."

Tony looked up. "We can go? You mean home?"

Mimi smiled. "Yes, I mean home. Why, do you want to stay?"

Tony put Karina down. "Nope, home is where I want to be right now, with my little family." He kissed Ziva, then Jack. He grabbed Karina's hand and brought her over to see Jack.

"We're going to bring Jack home, Karina. Isn't that great? You have your own baby brother!" Tony's voice was animated and high with excitement.

Karina clapped, excited because her daddy was excited.

Mimi clapped with Karina. "Yay!" She laughed, delighted by her smile. She looked at Tony and Ziva. "I'll sign your release and bring you your discharge papers. As soon as Jack is finished, you can get ready to go."

She waved and headed toward the Nurse's station. Tony turned and smiled at Ziva. He was so excited to take them home. Gibbs had called and said to stop by the house and pick up the cradle. Tony shook his head. He couldn't believe Gibbs had stayed up to finish carving his son's name in the cradle.

He was interrupted by his musing by a particularly large belch from Jack. "Yep, that's my boy!" Tony chuckled. Ziva laughed at him. "That he is. Here, you take him while I get myself together. Did you bring the blue outfit?"

"Yes, everything you asked for is in there." Tony cooed at his son. He sat in the chair so Karina could see him better. He brought her hand up so she could touch his hand. "See, he's a nice baby, isn't he Karina? He loves you."

Karina's mouth was open in amazement at Tony's declaration. She still wasn't sure what this "baby" thing was about, and it looked like he was going to be living with her. She wondered if he was going to go to "work" with her too.

Ziva came out of the bathroom refreshed. She grabbed the bag and pulled out the outfit. Tony laid Jack down. "We're going to change Jack's diaper and then put this cute little outfit on him, ok?" He asked Karina.

Karina looked through the clear plastic bin the little baby was lying, and nodded. "Ok!" She piped up.

Tony expertly changed the diaper, which Karina was quite familiar with. She was surprised at how small it was. She lifted up her shirt and tried to look down her pants at her own diaper. Tony laughed. "Does your diaper need to be changed too, Punkin?"

Karina looked at her mommy. "Come here, sweetness. Mommy will change you." Ziva wanted to give Karina the attention that she knew would be limited all too soon.

She lifted her up and laid her on the hospital bed and quickly changed her. "What a good girl you are!" Ziva smothered her in kisses.

Tony had been putting Jack's outfit on. He lifted him up for Ziva to approve. "Well?"

He had on a blue fleece sleeper with baseballs on it, a blue knit hat and little booties.

Ziva smiled. She hugged her daughter. "Doesn't your brother look handsome, Karina?"

Karina just looked at the baby, not sure what was expected. She looked at Ziva, unsure.

Ziva could sense her apprehension. "It's ok, Karina. We are all going to go home now, ok?"

Karina understood that. She nodded her head up and down. Ziva took her hand and put her down off the bed. Mimi looked in.

"Hi! Here's your paperwork, and here's your wheelchair. Tony, if you'll take Karina; Ziva, you can sit in the wheelchair and I'll hand you Jack. Eric will wheel you down."

She smiled as they waved and headed down the hall. Tony looked at Ziva, sitting and holding the baby. "Can you handle Karina too, or should I take her with me to go get the car?"

Ziva took hold of Karina. "Put her in the chair with me, she will be fine."

Tony lifted his daughter up and carefully put her in Ziva's lap. "You help Mommy with Jack, ok? Daddy will be right back." Tony kissed each member of his family and took off for the car.

Karina waved "bye-bye" and looked at Jack in her mommy's lap. She leaned against Ziva's chest and Ziva tightened her grip around her, kissing her head.

Ziva could tell Karina did not understand why this baby was with them. She hoped this was not a sign of things to come. She and Tony would need to make sure Karina did not feel pushed aside, but she knew that Jack would need her more for quite a while.

Ziva sighed and kissed her daughter again and whispered soothing words in Hebrew to her. Tony pulled up with the car and got out.

He took Karina first and put her in her car seat. Ziva handed him Jack and she got up out of the wheelchair. "I will sit in the back between our children." She stated.

Tony looked surprised at that. "That won't be very comfortable for you, will it?"

But Ziva had already scooted herself inside, next to Karina. Karina was surprised but delighted her mommy was sitting next to her. Ziva turned and helped Tony buckle in the car seat Jack was currently nestled in, still asleep.

Satisfied his family was safe in the back seat, Tony returned to the wheel. He looked in the rear view mirror, smiling at his family all sitting together. Ziva had Karina's hand in hers and her other hand resting on Jack.

"Where to M'Lady?" Tony asked in a fake British accent, grinning wide, playing the part of chauffeur.

Ziva looked at Tony and chuckled. "Home, Anthony." She replied, in the same, stiff upper-class accent. "No, actually we need to see Abby first. If we go straight home, I will get settled and not want to leave."

Tony nodded. "Your wish is my command." He put the car in drive and headed to their North Arlington neighborhood.

**Tim and Abby's Home**

Abby had just refreshed herself after her nap when the doorbell rang. "Yay! They're here!" Abby clapped in excitement. Tim had called her after Tony let him know they were discharged and would be stopping by to see Abby first.

Abby was beside herself with anticipation. She hated not being able to go to the hospital. The pictures and videos were great, but a poor substitute for the real thing.

Suzie, her helper, went down stairs to let them in. Tony picked up Karina. He looked at Ziva. "Can you manage Jack in that thing or do you want me to come back down and get him?" When it had just been the three of them, Tony had always carted Karina around in her carrier. They now had _two_ children who needed assistance.

Ziva looked at Tony, smiling. "I had a baby, not major surgery. I can carry our six pound child up a flight of stairs." Tony smiled back. He called up the stairs.

"Abby! Are you decent? There's a young man down here who wants to meet you!"

"Yes! Hurry, hurry, hurry! I can't wait!" Abby yelled back.

Tony and Ziva laughed and shared a look. They trudged up the stairs slowly, keeping together. Once they were in the hall, Tony put Karina down. "Go find Aunt Abby, Karina." He told her.

She grinned. "Be-Be!" She called out, toddling down the hall.

"Here I am, Baby Girl!" Abby called out. Karina followed her voice and squealed in delight when she found her. She tried to run to her, but tripped over her baby feet and fell down.

"Oops! Karina fall down, Karina go boom!" Abby said in a sing-song voice so the baby wouldn't start to cry. Karina looked up from the floor and laughed.

Tony was right behind her and scooped her up. "Still working on those running skills, right Ninja Baby?" He kissed her belly loudly.

"Oh, there he is!" Abby said softly when Ziva and Jack came into the room.

"Here we are!" Ziva announced cheerfully. She put the carrier on the bed, and gently lifted Jack out of it. She then walked over and placed him in Abby's anxiously waiting arms.

"Oh, Ziva…Tony. He is just beautiful." Abby had tears in her eyes. "He looks like _you_, Karina!" She grinned at the little girl.

"Tony, you can put her in the bed next to me, I've missed her too." Abby ordered.

Tony chuckled and complied, carefully setting his daughter down on the bed next to her Aunt.

Karina kissed Abby and played with her pony tails. She finally settled down, and looked at Jack while Abby cooed at him. "What do you think, Baby Girl?" Abby asked Karina.

Karina looked at Jack, then at Abby. "Baby." She said.

"Good girl!"

"I do not think Karina is too sure about her brother yet." Ziva said softly. "She likes him, but I do not think she understands why he is with us."

"Oh, poor Baby!" Abby kissed her. "This is so great to have a baby brother, Karina! You're going to have so much fun." Abby spoke to Karina earnestly.

Karina looked at her Aunt Abby, grinning as she talked to her. She patted her belly.

"That's right. Aunt Abby has babies in her tummy. They will come out to play soon. They will play with you and Jack. Won't that be fun?"

Karina nodded her head up and down, and giggled. Abby put Jack down and started undressing him. "What are you doing, Abby?" Tony asked.

"I'm checking him out, what do you think?" Abby looked at Tony like he was dumb to ask such a question.

Tony shook his head. "Well, don't let him catch cold." One look from Abby was enough to stop him from making further comments.

Ziva joined her on the bed and marveled at her son with Abby, as they counted fingers and toes, checked out his belly button and ears and hair. Abby wanted to see every inch of him.

Finally satisfied, Abby put his outfit back on. "He is just perfect, guys. Just like you are, Karina." Abby kissed her again.

Karina had looked with interest at her brother. He was funny looking, but he looked like he might be fun to play with. She was concerned that he just kind of laid there and didn't get up and walk around with her, but she figured that Bridget would explain it to her when they got home.

Jack started fussing. "I think we better go. Someone is getting hungry." Ziva smiled.

Abby looked disappointed but understood. "Ok, but come back tomorrow or Sunday. No later than Sunday, promise!"

Tony picked up Karina and grinned at Ziva. "We'll see, Abby. It depends on the weather. If it's too cold, we are not taking Jack or Karina out."

Abby frowned, but nodded in understanding.

"What time will Tim be home?" Tony asked, trying to change the subject.

"Hopefully he'll be home around five, if nothing comes up between now and then. Can you at least call me?"

Ziva looked startled. She quickly gave Abby a hug. "Of'course we will call you. And we will come over if it is not too cold. I know you are bored. I remember being in bed all the time." Ziva made a face.

"Unless we are totally sleep deprived since young Master Jack DiNozzo is a feeding frenzy machine." Tony joked.

Ziva looked at him. "That is true; we have not had our first night home yet. We do not know how much sleep we will be getting for the next few days."

"Or weeks." Tony added helpfully.

"Weeks! Promise me you won't wait weeks before I see you again!" Abby wailed.

Ziva shot daggers at Tony. "Of'course it will not be weeks, Abby. But we will need to see how the next few days go, all right?"

Ziva gave Abby a final kiss and hug, and grabbed the baby carrier. Tony brought Karina over. "Give Aunt Abby a "bye-bye" kiss." He told her. Karina leaned down from his arms and kissed Abby.

Tony reached down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Take care, Abbs. We'll see you soon, I promise."

They quickly got back into their car and drove the one block to their house. Tony took Jack's carrier and let Ziva take Karina. They walked together to their front door.

"Welcome home, Jack." Tony whispered to his son.

_**Hope you liked it. Please leave reviews, they make my day.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Ziva gave Abby a final kiss and hug, and grabbed the baby carrier. Tony brought Karina over. "Give Aunt Abby a "bye-bye" kiss." He told her. Karina leaned down from his arms and kissed Abby.**_

_**Tony reached down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Take care, Abbs. We'll see you soon, I promise."**_

_**They quickly got back into their car and drove the one block to their house. Tony took Jack's carrier and let Ziva take Karina. They walked together to their front door. **_

"_**Welcome home, Jack." Tony whispered to his son.**_

Chapter Eleven: "Of Dogs and Babies"

Once they got home, it was time to feed Jack again. Tony took the opportunity to run over to Gibbs and Mimi's to pick up the cradle. Mimi had already arrived home while they were visiting with Abby.

She opened the front door and let him in. "How did it go with Abby? I'll bet she fell instantly in love with the little squirt."

Tony grinned. "Of'course she did. It's a given! She totally undressed the little guy and checked him out. I don't understand why they always do that." Mimi chuckled and patted his arm.

"Here, take this too. Jethro made it for Karina so she would have a gift and could feed her baby while Ziva feeds Jack." Tony looked at the rocker in surprise. "That's so cute…she'll love it!" Tony shook his head in amazement.

He carefully loaded the furniture into his car and waved goodbye. He pulled into the garage, and took out the cradle and rocker. Carefully juggling the two precious items, he entered the house and lugged them up the stairs.

"Hi Honey! I'm home!" He called out.

"We're in here." Ziva answered. He walked into their bedroom and found Ziva, Jack and Karina together on their bed. Jack was asleep and Ziva and Karina were cuddled together.

"Look what Grandpa made for Princess Karina!" Tony swung the little rocking chair from behind his back.

Karina opened her mouth in a big "O", and clapped when Ziva clapped. "It is beautiful, Tony." Ziva got up with Karina and looked at it.

Tony looked at his sleeping son on the bed. He didn't look like he was going anywhere, so he turned his attention to his daughter. "You can sit in your own rocking chair and feed your baby while Mommy feeds Jack. Won't that be fun, Punkin?"

Ziva sat her in the chair and started it rocking a bit, then sat in the big rocker they had in the master bedroom. She held her hand as they rocked together. Karina had a big grin on her face.

"Boss, you are a genius." Tony commented, watching his two girls together. He went back out into the hall and brought the cradle in. "Where do we want this?" He asked Ziva.

Ziva pointed by the window. "Put it where we had it when Karina was born. That worked out very well." She stopped him as he walked by, so she could see Jack's name carved in it.

"Gibbs did this last night?" She looked at Tony in surprise.

She traced "Jackson" with her fingers. "It is so delicate."

"He is amazing, isn't he? I could never do something like that." Tony said in admiration.

"You have other talents with your hands." Ziva said softly.

Tony gave her a surprised look at that comment. She blushed as she realized what he was thinking. "Tony! I meant that you are quite skilled at playing the piano. I would also say at playing the guitar, but Gibbs also plays the guitar." She shook her head at him and slapped his arm.

Tony just grinned at her, happy to catch her like that. He looked back at Jack, still happily asleep on their bed. "Has Bridget met our newest addition yet?"

"Oh, my!" Ziva's hand flew to her mouth. "She is still outside. I forgot to let her back in." Ziva felt terrible. It wasn't a bad day as far as weather was concerned, but it was still pretty cold out.

"Ok, I'll go get the poor neglected thing." Tony said. He looked at Karina. "You stay with Mommy and take care of your baby brother, Ok?" He squatted in front of her. "That's your job now, to watch over Jack." He kissed her head and left the room.

Karina looked at the sleeping baby on the bed. She had a new job? Did that mean she wasn't going back to her old work? She looked at Ziva, not sure what was expected of her. Ziva smiled down at her and squeezed her hand.

Tony opened the French doors and Bridget came bounding in. "Whoa, hang on! Let's check you out. Just what I thought, let me dry you off before you go upstairs, ok Girl?"

Bridget loved being rubbed down with a towel. She helpfully lifted each of her paws as her daddy cleaned and dried them. _"It's about time! They've been gone for months! Do they think I watch the house because I have nothing better to do?"_ Bridget thought with her doggy brain. She looked around for Karina and turned to Tony and barked_. "Where's my pet?"_

Tony patted her down and scratched her ears. "We have a big surprise for you. Go upstairs. Go find Karina." Tony ordered.

Bridget's ears perked up at Karina's name and took off. She immediately found her in the big room, sitting with their mommy. She ran up to her and started licking her, causing the baby to giggle. Just then, her nose picked up a familiar, yet unfamiliar scent.

She cocked her head and looked at the bed. Before Ziva could react, she jumped up and was soon looking down at Jack.

"_What is this? It looks like that pet that comes sometimes when my home is full of big animals." _Bridget sniffed carefully.

Ziva had gotten up and walked carefully to the bed, not wanting to scare the dog. She watched closely as Bridget checked out Jack. "This is Jack, Bridget. He is someone new for you to watch over, just like Karina." She patted Bridget's head and talked soothingly.

Tony came in as she was introducing Bridget. "I see she has met our son. Any problems?" He sat on the bed.

Ziva shook her head. Bridget's ears were going back and forth as Ziva explained that she had a new pet.

Bridget sniffed his diaper and experimentally licked his hand. When he moved, she sat down in surprise. _"Ok, this is weird. It looks like my pet, but it sure doesn't do much." _ Bridget opened her mouth like she was smiling and looked at Tony.

Ziva picked up Jack and handed him to Tony. "I think that is enough slobbering for now. I am going to put the bedding in the cradle, and then we can lay Jack down. Karina, come help Mommy."

Ziva held out her hand, and Karina happily took it. They went into the sitting area, where the new bedding was waiting. She handed Karina a little blanket to carry and Ziva returned.

She put in the small mattress and covered it with the new green and blue striped bedding. "Thank you, Karina." She said as she took the blanket from her. Karina watched her mommy and mimicked her by smoothing down the sheet.

"You are very helpful!" Ziva praised her. Karina grinned and giggled. She watched Ziva go to Tony and take the baby from him. Coming back, she gently laid him into his new bed, letting Karina help her cover him with the blanket.

"Jack is sleeping, now Sweetie. I think it is time for a nap for you as well. It has been a big day, yes?"

Ziva took her hand again, and walked with her to her bedroom. She changed her outfit into something more comfortable and put her down in her crib. She caressed her curls, and bent down to kiss her. "You are so beautiful, Karina. I love you very much." Karina smiled and kissed her back. Despite her efforts, she was tired and just being put in her crib made her sleepy. She was asleep before Ziva left the room.

Tony was waiting for her in their room. "She's asleep already?" Tony asked, surprised. Ziva nodded sat next to Tony. He gave her a kiss. "Why don't you take advantage of the relative calm and take a nice hot shower? I can handle any emergencies."

Ziva chuckled. "Well, you can't feed your son, but I think I will take your advice." She got up and stretched. A nice shower would be wonderful.

Bridget was torn: should she go sleep with Karina or continue to check out this new pet? She sat by the rocker, a look of concern on her face.

Tony petted her and turned on the baby monitor. "Want to come downstairs or stay up here?" He looked at the Sheltie.

Bridget turned her head back and forth, weighing her options. She heaved a big sigh and lay down by the cradle. Tony chuckled. "I know, it's a hard job but somebody's gotta' do it."

"_You have no idea."_ Bridget thought.

**Thursday, March 6, 2014**

The day of the Bris dawned cold but sunny. Tony's dad arrived on Sunday as expected and insisted on staying at his usual hotel. He did come over for dinner to meet Jack and visit with Karina.

He was thrilled with his new grandson and made a big fuss over Karina. He brought both of them big stuffed elephants, which Tony thought was the silliest thing he had ever seen, but he wasn't going to complain.

Ziva's father arrived on Monday, checking in at the Embassy before being driven over to their home.

It had been a long time since he had seen Karina, so she was a little shy, but she quickly got used to him when he played with her doll with her.

Eli and Tony visited the Rabbi to discuss the logistics and what Tony needed to do. He listened carefully, not wanting to mess up this important ceremony due to his lack of experience. With Eli's help, they selected the mohel.

Eli would act as the sandek, and Tony's dad as the standing sandek. Tony and Ziva wanted to include both of them in the ceremony, and thought this would be the best way.

Although Tony and his father were not Jewish, they both wore tallit's, or Jewish prayer shawls. They decided to have the bris performed in the afternoon so many of their friends could come. Abby was disappointed she wouldn't be there, but Tim promised a full commentary afterward.

At the appropriate time, Ziva carried Jack in on a pillow and handed him to Mimi, who in turn carried the baby and handed him to Gibbs. According to his instructions, he then placed the baby on the Throne of Elijah, then picked him back up and handed him to Tony, who then placed the baby in Eli's lap.

The mohel recited the prayers and quickly and painlessly performed the bris. He lifted the little baby and placed him in the waiting hands of Tony's Dad, who was crying.

"The child's Hebrew name is Jack, 'God is gracious'. The Rabbi announced. "He is also blessed to be named David, for he is truly 'beloved'.

The baby was taken by Gibbs, who gave him to Mimi, who then walked him back to the waiting arms of his mother. Tears were streaming down Ziva's face as received her son. She held him close and whispered in his ear how proud she was of him.

"MAZEL TOV!" Everyone cheered. Karina had been held by Lily and kept out of the way. She didn't understand what was going on, and was curious to see the Synagogue. She was dazzled by the candles and liked the prayers, trying to mimic them as they were being recited.

"Mommy Ta!" Karina cried out, causing everyone to laugh. Tony walked over to Ziva and hovered over his son. "He is fine, Tony. He did not even cry, did you my big boy?" Ziva was very proud and her eyes shone with her happiness.

"But I do think he will want so dinner soon, so perhaps we should start home, yes?" Ziva looked at Tony, who was smiling down at Jack. He nodded and looked around to see where Karina had gone off to.

Lily was still holding her, talking to her parents and her "Grampy" Jackson, who had come down from Stillwater. Gibbs looked over as Tony came up. "Are you ready to go now?" He asked.

Tony held out his arms and took Karina. "Yep, you're coming over, right?"

Mimi smiled. "We'll be there." Gibbs had his arm around his two girls. They had also brought Ducky with them, as Jimmy stayed at work. Jackson was very moved by the ceremony and shook Tony's hand.

"I'm really touched you named your son after me. It's an honor I'm not sure I deserve, but I _am_, honored." He couldn't hide the slight quaver in his voice.

Tony gave him a big hug. "You're his 'Grampy'. Of'course you deserve it."

"This was quite an impressive ceremony." Ducky commented. "It was very interesting to see Ziva's father in a setting outside of work."

Gibbs just grunted. He tolerated Eli only because he was Ziva's father, but he didn't trust him as far as he could throw him. Tony's dad had come up several notches in the past two years, as he made an effort to make amends with his son and be involved in his life.

Gibbs shrugged. Maybe Eli was doing the same, but he didn't think he could ever forgive him for sending Ziva to North Africa. He didn't begrudge Ziva for trying to keep things smooth with her father. That's what family did. But Gibbs would always keep his distance.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Once they got home, Ziva excused herself to go upstairs and feed Jack. Tony took Karina up with her, and let her sit in her little rocker while Ziva breastfed the baby. He carefully placed the baby gate at the top of the stairs and went back down to his guests.

They had lox and bagels and other delicious dishes to choose from. The atmosphere was festive and celebratory. Tony was grinning from ear to ear as he attended his guests.

Upstairs, Bridget was having a conversation with Karina, as she rocked her baby while Ziva fed Jack. _"Ok, we need to compare notes. So what is really going on here? What is this new pet about?" _

Karina babbled back to Bridget. _"I don't understand it myself, but I think he's a new case like Mommy and Daddy always has, because Daddy said he was my new job."_

Bridget considered the implications of that statement. _"So, does that mean the pet won't be here for long?"_

Karina patted her baby's back like her mommy was doing with the object of their conversation. _"Maybe, I don't know. It doesn't do much, does it? But Mommy and Daddy seem to like it a lot, so I guess I should like it too."_

Ziva held Jack up against her shoulder to burp him, watching her daughter and the dog deep in a "serious" conversation. She was amused as they appeared to be discussing something of importance and couldn't help but wonder what they were "talking" about.

True to form, Jack belched loudly. He stared hazily over Ziva's shoulder, frowning. _"I don't get it and I don't like it! I was all warm and comfy and now this! There are so many bright lights and loud noises. And all of these blobs in front of me! And what was the deal with that wet stuff on my face?" _He grimaced, thinking of when Bridget had licked him.

Ziva held him down in front of her in her lap, looking down at the baby and talking to him. "You were such a brave boy today. Mommy is so proud of you, Jackson." She kissed his forehead.

Jack closed his eyes. He really liked this blob. The smell and voice were very familiar. _"I think I'll just stay here awhile, I am a little tired." _ He decided to give this all another chance.

Ziva sat for a few more minutes, alone with her children. The first week at home had not been without drama. Jack had woken up every three hours the first two days wanting to be fed. Fortunately, Ziva's milk finally came in and he settled down to every four hours by Wednesday.

Karina was at first tentative about Jack being with Ziva all the time. She threw a small tantrum when she tried to push him aside and climb into Ziva's lap as she was feeding him.

Tony had to take his crying daughter aside and sit with her and try to calm her down. He held her and cuddled with her as Ziva continued to feed Jack. As soon as he was done feeding, they switched children so Karina could be with her mother.

She did try to breastfeed again after that, needing her mother's comfort. Ziva rocked her daughter and comforted her, singing softly. Ziva did what Mimi suggested by letting Karina call the shots on whether or not she took the breast again.

Sometimes she did, and sometimes she just buried her head in her mother's bosom. Tony had decided to stay home the whole week, and they talked about him staying another week, to make sure Karina felt safe and comfortable.

Ziva looked again at Karina, who had finished "burping" her baby and was now holding her like Ziva was holding Jack. She had chuckled when she realized that Karina was mimicking breastfeeding her doll.

"You did a very good job with your baby, Karina." Ziva praised her as she ran her fingers through her soft curls.

Karina grinned up at her Mommy, delighted she did her job well. Just then, Tony came back up. "How's everyone doing?" He asked.

"Everyone's just fine." Ziva said, looking at Jack who was now sleeping. "I'm going to lay him down, and then we can go downstairs. I think Karina deserves some attention, yes?"

Tony took the sleeping baby from Ziva's hands and put him in the cradle. "I'm just going to freshen up. I will join you in a few minutes." Ziva kissed Tony softly, lingering a few moments to cherish the closeness.

Tony smiled through the kiss. He was the happiest man alive today. He picked up Karina and took her downstairs. Everyone clapped when they saw her, making her eyes light up. Tony put her down so she could toddle around the living room and visit her family.

By the time Ziva got downstairs, Eli and Sr. were both on their hands and knees playing with Karina. Ziva went up to Tony and put her arm around his waist. "She has them wrapped around her little finger, does she not?" She chuckled softly.

"Just like her mother." Tony kissed her temple.

_**Thanks as always for the amazing reviews! Keep 'em coming, it keeps me going. I am not Jewish, so everything I wrote about the Bris is from internet research. Hopefully, I didn't make any major errors!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Tony smiled through the kiss. He was the happiest man alive today. He picked up Karina and took her downstairs. Everyone clapped when they saw her, making her eyes light up. Tony put her down so she could toddle around the living room and visit her family.**_

_**By the time Ziva got downstairs, Eli and Sr. were both on their hands and knees playing with Karina. Ziva went up to Tony and put her arm around his waist. "She has them wrapped around her little finger, does she not?" She chuckled softly.**_

"_**Just like her mother." Tony kissed her temple. **_

Chapter Twelve: "Two Steps Forward…"

**Tim and Abby's Home-North Arlington**

Even though Abby couldn't be at the bris, she decided she would dress up as she lay in bed, listening over Tim's phone as the ceremony unfolded.

"Can you hear everything?" Tim whispered into the phone, as they were about to begin.

Abby nodded. "I can hear just fine. I wish I could see it, though." She sighed with an air of disappointment.

"I know, Abbs. I asked and they said no video." Tim felt really bad for his bed-ridden wife, knowing she was bouncing off the walls with excitement and anticipation.

Abby missed the interaction of her friends and the stimulation of her work. She didn't realize how much of her life revolved around these most important people until they weren't in her little sphere twenty-four seven. Intellectually she understood the concept: they did sometimes work through the night, although those days were now few and far between with the advent of babies.

Abby snuggled in to herself and talked to her own children safely nestled inside her womb. "I can't wait to meet you guys. Mommy and Daddy are so excited and you have grandparents and Aunts and Uncles and cousins and dogs who are excited too! One of your cousins, Jack is having his bris today. What's that? Well, it's a Jewish ceremony for performing the circumcision and welcoming the baby and giving him his Jewish name. I know, cover your ears, it sounds scary. But it's not, I promise."

Abby listened attentively as the Rabbi recited the prayers. She didn't know what he was saying, but his voice brought tears to her eyes. She was surprised at how short the ceremony was, but sighed in happy relief when everyone shouted "Mazel Tov!" and then laughed along with everyone else at Karina's imitation by saying "Mommy Ta!"

Tim came back on the phone. "Did you hear everything? It was very impressive. Jack didn't even cry, but everyone else did." Tim sounded amused. "Ziva's bawling her eyes out, Tony hovering all over Jack and Director David is grinning from ear to ear." Tim relayed.

Abby smiled at the description of the scene. She really missed everyone and would kill to be a fly on the wall of _any_ conversation between Ziva's and Tony's Dads.

She shook her head, marveling at how strange their little world really was. "Are you going to the party?" Abby asked wistfully.

Tim hesitated. "I'm going to put in an appearance, then I will be right home, is that ok?" He hated how left out Abby was feeling today, and he wanted to make it up to her as much as possible.

"That's fine, Timmy. I want you to be there. But I will be really glad to have you home. Maybe Gibbs and Mimi and Lily can stop by too. I wouldn't even mind Ziva's Dad visiting." Tim almost choked at that. DiNozzo, Sr. had paid Abby a visit, but he _knew_ her. Eli David, if he had ever met Abigail Sciuto McGee, certainly didn't recall her and would have no real reason to visit a pregnant woman on bed rest.

"Uh, I doubt that's going to happen. But I'll talk to the Boss." Tim assured her. "Hey, everyone's leaving, so I'll check back with you in a bit. I love you guys." He said.

"We love you, too. See you soon." Abby murmured softly. She hung up and looked out the bedroom window. She was happy the weather had cooperated by not snowing or sleeting. The bright blue winter sky was in sharp contrast to the bare trees in their yard.

Abby shivered a little and pulled her comforter up a bit. She rubbed her tummy. "I guess I can get out of my party clothes now and put on something more comfortable. What do you think? The black outfit, or the black outfit?" Abby asked her babies.

Tim left the party as soon as it was socially correct and headed home. "Abbs? I'm home." He called out.

"I'm up here." Abby called out as she always did, as if Tim wouldn't know where she was. He grinned and went up the stairs. She smiled when he came into the bedroom and sat on the bed.

"Hi!" Abby kissed him hello. "We missed you so much!" Abby hugged Tim tightly.

Tim chuckled. "Abby, I haven't been gone any longer than I would have from a normal day at work." He obligingly returned the kiss, and then turned his attention to his children.

"Hi, were you good today for Mommy and Daddy? I'm sure you were. Your cousins say hi." He bent and kissed Abby's belly and caressed it lovingly.

Abby ran her fingers through his hair. It was longer that it usually was, but still short. She loved it when Tim "talked" to the babies. They always got active when they heard his voice. Abby was sure they were excited to hear from their Daddy.

Tim turned his attention back to Abby. "Gibbs and Mimi will stop by on their way home. Lily has as date tonight."

Abby was disappointed that Lily wouldn't be coming as well, but was pleased to hear she and Sean were going out. "They seem to be getting serious." Abby suggested, thinking maybe Tim had heard some juicy gossip.

But he looked blank at her comment. Lily's love life was so out of his sphere of interest that he couldn't even tell Abby if it was Sean she was going out with tonight. Although he had no reason to believe it wasn't, he just didn't take an active role in following what she was doing with her private life.

Her professional life was a different story altogether, however. Tim had become increasingly impressed with her skills in the lab and how quickly she was picking up the investigative aspects of the job. Vance had asked his opinion of how she was doing and gave her a glowing recommendation.

He looked at Abby, who was still waiting for his response. He just shrugged, earning a look of exasperation from her. "Tim! You're supposed to find out these things for me, since I can't find them out on my own! You're falling down on the job!" She crossed her arms in dismay.

"What can I say, Abby? I don't pay attention to that kind of stuff. Ask Mimi, or better yet, ask Lily herself." He settled himself down next to her. "Are you hungry?" He asked.

Abby looked at Tim for a while, deciding whether or not to continue with her train of thought about Lily. She decided better of it and changed tacks. "I would love some comfort food. It's so cold out still! When is spring coming? I miss the flowers."

Tim smiled and kissed her. "How about some of that stew that Mimi brought over? We have some left."

"Yum! And some cornbread, too!" Abby clapped her hands.

Tim was glad Abby was not hard to please. It made his life so much easier. He couldn't imagine how he would cope if she had become demanding and hostile due to her imposed bed rest. Instead, she was still mostly cheerful, albeit bored.

Tim had brought his writing desk and typewriter up to the bedroom so he could be near her when his writing muse hit. They also played board games or cards in the evening. Abby's favorite was "Hand and Foot", but it was better played with more than two people.

Tonight, Tim was going to bring out "Yahtzee", as Abby had mentioned it last week. It was his little surprise for her. He had considered online gaming or games on their Play Station, but Abby got so into it that she would practically turn herself inside out: that wasn't a good thing when she was supposed to be taking it easy physically.

So Tim nixed the role playing games. He whistled as he got dinner ready, talking to Jethro about the bris and his day in general. Jethro watched Tim intently, hoping some food would magically fly off the counter onto the floor.

They had just finished dinner when Gibbs and Mimi showed up. "Hi!" Abby waved as they came upstairs and gave her a hug. "You look great, Mimi!"

Mimi smiled and pulled up a chair. Gibbs smiled as well, glad Abby thought Mimi looked good, an opinion he agreed with. "You look good too, Abby. How are you feeling?" Mimi asked.

"I feel fine. Bored, but ok. Tim keeps me entertained." Abby grinned.

Gibbs looked at Tim after glancing around the room. "Working on another book, McGee?" He asked, not sure if he wanted to know or not.

Tim blushed. "Tell them, Timmy." Abby encouraged him, her face shining.

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but I just finished a new book and it's at the publisher right now for final editing. They will begin marketing it in two months." He took a deep breath.

"I decided for my _next_ book, I would try my hand at a children's story." Tim held his breath, not wanting to be laughed at.

He didn't need to worry. Mimi clapped her hands and Gibbs smiled wide. "Well, McGee. They say you should write what you know. I think it's a great idea. You should have Abby help."

Tim smiled and looked at Abby. "Actually, Abby and I are writing it together. She's very good. She has a better imagination than I do."

"Ya' think, McGee? Unless you plan on children NCIS agents as the plot of your book." Gibbs looked at the young couple, shaking his head.

"Oh, that would be so cute!" Abby cooed. "But we decided to be more traditional. You'll see!" Abby hugged herself with excitement.

Mimi nodded approvingly. "And while you're home, you can help write. I think that's a great idea." She turned to Tim and gave him a hug.

"Congratulations on your newest book. I don't know how you kept it a secret all this time. I can't wait to read it."

She looked at Gibbs. "Tony and Ziva said they would drop by tomorrow, after they see me. And if today is any indication, they don't have to worry about Jack's feeding habits."

Gibbs chuckled. "Yeah, he's still a little pig. Kind of like…"

"His father?" Abby and Tim said together, and then broke into laughter.

Gibbs cocked his head and gave his lopsided smile that showed he was amused. "Yeah, well. I didn't say that. That boy can eat, though. He's definitely gaining weight. I think he's doubled his weight since he was born."

Mimi playfully slapped his arm. "Jethro, wash your mouth out with soap and take yourself to the woodshed! Doubled his weight! I would be very concerned if he gained that much weight in one week. Geesh!" Mimi shook her head at her husband's ignorance.

Abby giggled. "What about your guys? I know it's still really early but have you made any plans yet?"

Gibbs and Mimi looked at each other, somewhat uncomfortable. Mimi answered. "Not really. Just taking it a day at a time at this point. Once I have my amnio then I think we'll go into full baby mode."

Gibbs got a look of horror on his face. He had no idea what "full baby mode" was but it sounded scary.

**April 2014**

Tony grumbled as he finished up his paperwork. It had been a long week and he was looking forward to going home. He smiled as he pulled up the video Ziva had sent this morning of Jack.

Now five weeks old, he had gained one pound and had grown an inch. The video was funny: Jack had discovered his hands and was mesmerized by them, having this comical look on his face as he held them up. Every once in a while he would gurgle and not quite squeal, but close to it.

Everyone else had seen the video, and agreed it was hilarious. "He has your expression down, DiNozzo." Gibbs quipped.

Just as Tony closed down the video, Gibbs strode up. "DiNozzo! McGee! I need you to go talk to Ramos again. His story doesn't add up."

Tony glanced up and looked at Tim. "You don't believe he wasn't at the club when Sanchez was stabbed, Boss?"

Gibbs shook his head. "He's hiding something. Bring him in if he doesn't cooperate."

"On it, Boss!" Tony replied. He threw the keys at Tim and headed to the elevator. Once inside and the doors closed, he put his head in his hands. "No! I swear, McGee. If I have to talk to this jerk again, _I'm_ going to stab someone."

Tim just smirked. "Come on, Tony. Let's just bring him in. Then we can control him better."

Tony nodded and got into the passenger side. They headed down the street to Eastern Market, a neighborhood located on the north side of the Capital. Getting out of the car, Tony looked at the small grocery store that Ramos was known to hang out in.

"McGee, I'll take the back, you take the front." Tony waved Tim off. He no sooner got the words out when Ramos came out of the store. Seeing the Agents, he took off.

"Why do they always have to run?" Tony yelled, as he took pursuit. He cut down an alley, hoping to cut their suspect off.

The next thing he knew, he was looking up at Tim, who was looking down at him with a very worried look on his face.

"Just stay down, Tony. The ambulance is on its way." Tim had a hand on Tony's shoulder.

"Wha..?" Tony looked around in confusion. He was lying in the middle of the street. Only then did he become aware of the throbbing pain in his side.

"You got hit by a car, Tony. You ran right out in front of it, while you were chasing Ramos." Tim was talking calmly to him, trying to keep him quiet.

Tim saw the accident and it scared him more than he wanted to admit. One minute, Tony was running full speed after their suspect. He had just rounded the corner when he heard the impact and saw Tony flying across the hood of the car.

He was now kneeling beside his friend, his hand on his shoulder. He called Gibbs right away, who was running toward them.

"Tony!" He called out. "I can't believe I got here before the ambulance!" He looked around in exasperation. He knelt down beside Tony.

"DiNozzo!" He got Tony's attention. Tony looked at Gibbs in surprise.

"Hi Boss. What are you doing here?" Tony smiled.

Gibbs shook his head. Just then, the ambulance came screeching up. He pulled McGee to the side as the attendants rushed over. "Boss, did you call Ziva?"

Gibbs looked at Tim. "I called Mimi. She's heading over there now. How did this happen, McGee?" Gibbs rounded on his younger Agent.

"He just ran right into the path of the car. We were both chasing down Ramos. Tony took a short cut through the alley. I'm not sure Tony even saw it. I didn't until he was hit, Boss." Tim was shaken and trying to figure out what he could have done to prevent this.

Gibbs realized what Tim was going through. "Not your fault, McGee. At least he's awake." He looked over at Tony again. He was concerned when he saw the oxygen being slapped over his face. He walked back over to the ambulance.

Tony saw him and gestured wildly. Even from several feet away, Gibbs could see that Tony was having trouble breathing. That made his heart stop. He quickly went to Tony's side, to keep him from hyperventilating.

"Boss!" Tony gasped. "Ziva...Karina…Jack…" His eyes were wide with fear and anxiety.

"Mimi's getting them, Tony. They'll be fine. You concentrate on you right now, ok?" Gibbs stepped back as the EMT's loaded Tony into the back of the ambulance.

As it sped off, Gibbs shoulders dropped. He was fine until he saw Tony having difficulty breathing. That made him remember Tony's history and he now worried how that was going to complicate things.

Gibbs and McGee headed for the car, and took off after the ambulance.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Ziva was in the living room with her children when Mimi showed up. She was surprised when the doorbell rang and saw Mimi standing there.

"Mimi? I was not expecting you." Ziva smiled. She turned to Karina. "Look Karina. Grandma's here." Karina grinned and toddled over to Mimi, who picked her up and kissed her.

She turned to Ziva and looked at her. Ziva immediate went cold. "What's happened?" She asked quietly.

"Jethro called. Tony's had an accident. I don't have any details, Ziva. But he's been taken to Walter Reed."

Ziva listened with growing anxiety as Mimi relayed her bad news. She looked at her son in her arms and kissed his head.

"Ziva, I can stay with the children. Are you ok to drive? I'm sorry I don't have any details." Mimi was upset to be giving this news to Ziva.

Ziva nodded quietly and took Jack upstairs and laid him in the cradle. "Mommy will be back soon, little one. And hopefully your daddy as well." She kissed him again and went back down stairs.

Mimi and Karina were sitting on the sofa, playing with her baby. Mimi looked up. "Are you ok?" She asked.

"I will be once I kill Tony." Ziva retorted. Mimi bit back a smile, knowing Ziva was very shaken and was trying to hide her feelings from Karina.

"Thank you, Mimi. I will call you as soon as I know anything. I have breast milk in the refrigerator." Mimi got up and gave her a hug.

"Drive safely. It's not going to help if you get into an accident as well."

Ziva stopped and looked at Mimi. She nodded her head, and grabbed her purse and keys. "Karina, be a good girl for Grandma, yes? Mommy will see you soon." She kissed her daughter good bye and ran out to the car.

Once she sat in the driver's seat, she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself. "Tony! What have you done now?" She furiously wiped away the tears that were threatening to flow.

With a new resolve, she put the car in drive and headed for Walter Reed.

_**Thanks for the amazing reviews. You keep me going. I was out of town for several days with no time to write, so sorry for the delay. I always wondered how Tony was able to still be so physical with such damaged lungs. Life is about to rear its ugly head!**_


	13. Chapter 13

"_**Drive safely. It's not going to help if you get into an accident as well."**_

_**Ziva stopped and looked at Mimi. She nodded her head, and grabbed her purse and keys. "Karina, be a good girl for Grandma, yes? Mommy will see you soon." She kissed her daughter good bye and ran out to the car.**_

_**Once she sat in the driver's seat, she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself. "Tony! What have you done now?" She furiously wiped away the tears that were threatening to flow.**_

_**With a new resolve, she put the car in drive and headed for Walter Reed.**_

Chapter Thirteen: "One Giant Leap Back"

Gibbs stood at the Emergency Department entrance, waiting for Ziva to arrive. Mimi had called him as soon as she left the house. Gibbs had spoken to McGee and they decided they should wait and let Tim tell Abby what happened in person, and after they knew how bad Tony's injuries were.

Gibbs had told Mimi this, so she wouldn't get it in her head to give Abby a call. Abby was very close to her due date, and Gibbs didn't want anything upsetting her. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I can't believe this!" He thought to himself. Everything was going great; everyone was happy. Depending how bad were his injuries, this could be a career-ender for Tony, at least as a Field Agent.

He had often wondered about his lungs. He realized he should have asked Mimi, since she had a medical background. He mentally slapped the back of his head for not paying closer attention to the needs of his team and their potential weak spots. He should have kept Tony out of every situation that could have hurt his lungs the moment he returned to work.

But Tony was stubborn, and didn't like to be coddled and worse: he didn't like to think he might not be physically capable of doing the job. And so far, he _had_ been able to do his job.

Gibbs saw a blur and a flying ponytail in the distance and stood ready to catch Ziva. She saw him immediately and ran into his arms. He hugged her tightly and kissed her temple.

"How bad is it?" She whispered, her voice so soft that Gibbs almost didn't hear the question.

Gibbs pulled back and brought her to the check-in desk. "We haven't been told anything yet, Ziva. Excuse me, this is Mrs. DiNozzo. Her husband was brought in? Anthony DiNozzo." Gibbs spoke to the clerk sitting behind the counter.

She looked up briefly and then checked her computer. "Yes…just one moment please." She grabbed her phone and spoke briefly into it. After hanging up, she looked back up.

"One of the Nurses will be right out for you, Ma'am."

Ziva shuddered at being called Ma'am, but held on to Gibbs. McGee had come up as soon as he saw her, and gave her a hug.

"What happened, McGee?" She asked, knowing Tim had probably witnessed the accident. "Mimi said Tony was in an accident. I had assumed a car accident, but you are fine." Ziva looked confused.

Tim shook his head. "Well, it was a car accident in a manner of speaking. We were chasing down a suspect and Tony ran right into the path of an oncoming car."

Ziva's hand flew to her mouth in shock. It was bad enough to be sitting inside a metal cage when hit by a car, but the human body was not made for such contact. She felt shaky and scared, but she willed herself to stay in control.

"Mrs. DiNozzo?" A Nurse was standing by the automatic doors that led into the Treatment area.

Ziva stepped forward, still hanging on to Gibbs' arm. "Yes, I am Ziva DiNozzo." The Nurse smiled.

"You can come back with me and the doctor will chat with you there. Oh, I'm sorry, family only." The Nurse tried to stop Gibbs from coming back with Ziva.

"He is my father." She said, trying to not be angry. She knew the Nurse was only doing her job, but she wasn't sure she could do this alone.

The Nurse nodded, and motioned for them both to come back. McGee didn't mind hanging out in the waiting room. They had already called Ducky and Jimmy and someone would need to be waiting for them when they arrived.

The Nurse led them to an empty cubicle. Ziva looked startled and tears started to form, but she refused to let them fall. "Please have a seat. I'll let Dr. Pitt know you are here."

Gibbs sucked in his breath at Dr. Pitt's name. He looked at Ziva. "Dr. Pitt was the doctor who took care of Tony when he had the plague." Ziva frowned, thinking this wasn't necessarily good news.

"Agent Gibbs, nice to see you again, although I would rather it was under different circumstances." Brad stuck out his hand and shook Gibbs'. He turned toward Ziva. "And you must be the amazing woman who got DiNozzo to settle down. I can say that because he was nowhere near doing anything like that when I last treated him." Brad smiled, appreciating Ziva's beauty and understanding Tony's change of heart. "Let's sit." He pulled up a chair.

"Tony is in CT Scan right now. We want to make sure we see exactly what is going on so we treat him correctly. And I know I am usually the Infectious Disease guy, but I was called in because of my history with DiNozzo." Brad explained his presence.

"From the witness accounts, Tony ran head long into the front right fender of a moving vehicle. The force of the impact caused him to be thrown over the hood and down onto the street. Immediate, obvious injuries are a broken hand, some scrapes and bruises. It was also evident at the scene that he was in pulmonary distress. He was given oxygen at the scene, stabilized and transported here." He shifted in his seat.

"His pulmonary status deteriorated, and he was intubated upon arrival at the Emergency Department. Because of the damage to his lungs from the Y. pestis, we are of'course concerned. Even a minor injury could cause pulmonary failure in a patient with his medical history." Brad took a breath.

"Is that why he's in CT, to see if he has an injury on top of what is already wrong with his lungs?" Gibbs asked, his hand on Ziva's back.

Brad nodded. "I need to see exactly what's happening, see if Tony has any trauma to his chest and/or lungs. I want to point out that pain alone could cause Tony to decrease his breathing to such a point that he could go into distress."

Ziva sat stunned. Tony had told her about his bout with the plague, but he had down played it. When he had been undercover with…_her_…Ziva had become convince that Tony had actually been seeing a doctor because he was ill. She remembered researching the illness he had contracted and had been more frightened than she cared to admit at the time. She had badgered Gibbs and tried to talk to Tony about it, but he blew her off.

If she hadn't been told the story of what had happened, Ziva would have never believed Tony had been ill. And now this. She turned to Gibbs, not knowing what to think.

Gibbs looked at Ziva and saw her confusion and worry. He rubbed her shoulder. "Let's wait and see what the CT shows, ok Ziver? No use looking for trouble until we know what we're dealing with." He looked into her eyes, hoping she would take his advice and try to stay calm.

Brad's beeper went off. "Ooops. That's CT calling. Let me go and I'll be back to give you the news." Dr. Pitt got up quickly and left the curtained area.

"Gibbs…" Ziva began.

Gibbs pulled her into a hug. "He'll be fine, Ziva. Tony knows he doesn't have permission to do anything stupid. He'll be fine if only because he knows how pissed I'll be if he isn't."

Ziva had to chuckle softly at that. She could imagine Gibbs telling Tony he didn't have permission to die when he was so close to death from the plague. And Tony had followed his Boss' orders. Would they be so lucky this time?

**NCIS**

Lily sat in Director Vance's outer office, waiting to be called in. She was nervously buttoning and unbuttoning her jacket, not sure what this was about. She jumped when Cynthia's phone buzzed. Cynthia hid her smile and pressed the button.

"Yes, Director." She answered.

"Can you please send Ms. Gibbs in please, Cynthia?" Vance's voice could be heard.

"Yes Sir." Cynthia looked at Lily. "You can go in now." She smiled wide.

Lily jumped up, straightened her skirt and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Vance answered. Lily slowly and cautiously opened the door, looking in. "You wanted to see me Director Vance?" She asked.

"Please, sit down Ms. Gibbs." Vance stood and pointed to the seat across from his desk. Once Lily was seated, he sat back down.

"Thank you for coming today. I would like to talk to you about your work here at NCIS." Vance began.

He looked closely at Lily, whose eyes were large, and frankly, worried.

"Are you enjoying your internship here?" Vance asked, getting straight to the point.

Lily gasped in surprise. "Oh, Director, I love it! It is so exciting and rewarding. I miss Abby terribly; she was such a great role model and mentor." Lily wondered if she was talking too much, and suddenly stopped.

Vance smiled. "You've done very well in Mrs. McGee's absence and have earned respect from those who work with you." Vance leaned back in his chair.

"I have a proposition that I would like you to think about. Have you considered where you would like to work when you are through with school?"

Lily opened her mouth, and then closed it. She knew where she wanted to work, but thought it would be very inappropriate for her to blurt it out.

Vance seemed to understand her hesitation. "We have a new program, open to probationary employees of the FBI, CIA, NCIS, Homeland Security, NSA, the whole alphabet soup. Basically in involves going through the FBI Field Agent Course in Quantico. New modules have been included for specific areas of interest, for example Forensics. I understand that you do not wish to pursue a career in the Field, but it is clear that our support scientific teams benefit from law-enforcement training."

Vance straightened up and let that all sink in. Lily sat stunned, not really sure what Vance was saying. Was he offering to send her to this program? Did that mean he wanted her to work for NCIS?

"I...I don't know what to say. How does the program work and what happens at the end of the program?" Lily asked tentatively.

"You can think of it as a probationary period of employment, in this case employment at NCIS. There are rotating classes, three per year. I understand you graduate in December?"

Lily nodded, her eyes wide. Vance smiled back at her.

"Then you would be a part of the January 2015 class. You would be taking courses alongside candidates for our sister Agencies. You would take the same classes, with a focus on Forensics and Computer Analysis of Evidence. But you would also learn how to work a crime scene, get evidence, and learn chain of evidence and proper handling of evidence in the field, which will help make your job in the Lab much easier."

Vance passed Lily a packet of information. "You would also be trained in all forms of weapons, so I need to know if that would be a problem. As you are not being considered for a Field Position at this time, and I say _at this time_ because I have been told that you are not interested in a Field Position. But as a Forensics Specialist a thorough of knowledge of weapons is essential in performing your duties. As a side note, you would not be required to undergo the physical training that all recruits go through, but you are welcome to partake in any aspect that appeals to you."

Lily was looking at Vance, trying to absorb everything he was saying and not look through the packet that was resting on her lap. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. They wanted her! Her heart was soaring; she was so excited and happy.

"Well, does any of this sound like something you would be interested in?" Vance leaned forward, folding his hands.

Lily nodded up and down. "Oh, yes, Sir! It…it sounds amazing. But I think I should talk to Da…Agent Gibbs first, and my mother. Not that I need their permission, I don't! But, I like to talk things through with my parents when I am making important decisions." Lily held her breath, hoping she didn't sound childish and immature.

Vance smiled wide. "I hope my children will always feel they will want to talk to me before they make important decisions. Of'course, we have plenty of time. I wanted to put this out to you before you made a decision to go elsewhere. We are very pleased with you, Ms. Gibbs, and we would like you to be with us permanently." He stood up.

Lily stood and shook his hand. "Thank you, Director Vance. I will let you know what my decision is soon." She left the office floating ten feet off the ground.

"Oh my God!" She squealed under her breath. "I need to call Mom!" She ran to the bullpen to find Gibbs, but it was empty. Disappointed, she headed back down to the lab to call Mimi.

**Walter Reed Medical Center**

Dr. Pitt returned twenty minutes after he left Ziva and Gibbs. They had gone out to speak with Tim and found Ducky and Jimmy waiting.

Ziva stood up when she saw Brad come through the doors. "Come on back." He said quietly. "Tony's back from CT. He's being admitted to ICU. We can talk back here."

"Brad." Ziva looked around. "You can say what you need to say in front of all of us. These are our friends and family as well." Ziva did not want to hear what Brad had to say alone. As soon as she heard Tony would be in ICU, her hopes dropped. This was not something simple.

Brad looked around. "Ok, let's go into a conference room. There are too many of you to talk to at Tony's bedside and I don't want to talk out here in the waiting room." Brad turned and they all followed him into a family conference room.

Ziva sat down, with Gibbs to her right and Ducky to her left. "Ok, this is what we've got. Tony sustained several rib fractures and a contusion to his left lower lobe. From the CT scan, we can see that a small hemothorax has developed. That's blood in the lung." Brad added when he saw the blank faces on everyone except Ducky.

"Unfortunately, a hemothorax doesn't resolve on its own and we have to be aggressive. Otherwise, other complications can arise." Brad looked at Ziva.

"What do you mean, you have to be 'aggressive'?" Ziva's hands were clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. Gibbs took one of her hands and gently squeezed it.

Brad rubbed his face. "Well, we have to perform a procedure called a thoracentesis. In fact, Tony is in Interventional Radiology right night getting ready to have it done. A chest tube will be inserted to drain the blood and re-inflate the lung. We will continue to monitor for active bleeding. If things look good, we can remove the chest tube probably tomorrow."

"Tony will not like that." Ziva commented, unable to really grasp what was happening to her family at the moment.

Brad nodded, understanding what she was getting at. "To that end, we are going to keep Tony intubated and sedated, to give his lung a chance to heal. That's why he's going to ICU, as well as having the chest tube." He looked again at Ziva, hoping she was handling this well.

"We have him on antibiotics as a precautionary measure, as well as Theophylline, to support his pulmonary function. As soon as the chest tube is placed and he is transported to ICU, you can see him. Do you have any questions? I do need you to sign the consent form for the procedure." Brad waited patiently, looking at everyone there.

Ziva sighed heavily and quickly signed her name. "I do not think it would be good to bring Karina. Seeing her daddy like this will frighten her terribly."

Brad looked surprised. "You have a daughter?" He smiled, thinking of the DiNozzo he knew all those years ago.

"Yes, Karina. She is one and a half years old. And we just had a son five weeks ago. I better call Mimi." Ziva was torn between her need to care for her husband and the need to make sure her children were ok.

"Ziva, I'll call Mimi. I'll put you on if she needs to ask you anything, Ok? Brad, any idea how long we are talking about here?" Gibbs now turned to the Pulmonologist.

Brad looked at his watch. "Another hour? Why don't you get some coffee or whatever you wish to drink? Tony will be admitted to the Pulmonary ICU on the fifth floor. There's a family room up there where you can go to wait for him to come up."

They all looked at each other, and decided to go to the cafeteria to get Ziva something to eat, since she had left the house before making dinner. She protested that she wasn't hungry and couldn't eat anyway, but Gibbs got her some soup and she obediently started to eat it.

Gibbs walked over to the window to call Mimi, hoping the news wouldn't upset her as well. Even though they all knew she was pregnant, she wasn't showing yet so it was easy to forget. Gibbs frankly thought Mimi was more at risk for having a bad reaction to Tony's accident than Abby was, but it was too late now. He had called her right away, naturally stepping in as the "parents".

"Jethro?" Mimi's voice was soft and somewhat strained.

"Hi Babe. How are the babies?" Gibbs asked, wishing he was there rather than at the hospital.

"Karina is fine, we just finished dinner. Jack ate a while ago and is sleeping. And your child is fine as well." Mimi knew Gibbs was probably more worried about her and the baby than Karina and Jack.

"How bad is it?" She asked, jumping right into it.

Gibbs sighed. "Well, he has something called a hemothorax. Brad said they are putting a chest tube in to drain the blood. He's having trouble breathing, Mimi, because of his lung damage from the plague. They have him on a ventilator and he's being admitted to ICU."

Mimi listened closely to Gibbs description of Tony's injuries. Although she was very concerned about his pulmonary status, she was not surprised given his history.

"Well, you know Brad is the best, Jethro. Tony is in very good hands. He will be fine. Did he have any other injuries?"

Gibbs hesitated for a few moments, and then remembered. "Oh, yeah he broke his hand. Probably when he fell onto the street, I would guess. And broken ribs."

Mimi nodded thoughtfully. "How's Ziva holding up?

Gibbs looked in her direction, glad to see everyone around her smiling and getting her to laugh. "She's having a hard time. She's worried about the babies and about Tony and doesn't know which way to turn. I did get her to eat some soup."

"That's good, Jethro. Don't let her neglect herself in her worry over Tony. And I know she will want to, but don't let her stay at the hospital tonight. She can come home at midnight if she wants, but she needs to be here for her children. Tony will understand. We can take her to the hospital tomorrow."

Gibbs agreed with Mimi's assessment. And he knew how stubborn Ziva could be. But she had a relative newborn that was totally dependent upon her. Tony would be cared for while she got some much needed sleep and comfort from her children.

True to Brad's word, about an hour later Ziva and Gibbs were taken to ICU to see Tony. Ziva's knees buckled when she saw her husband and the father of her children lying so still, not breathing on his own.

Gibbs caught her before she fell. "Ok, Ziver?" He whispered in her hair.

Ziva composed herself and nodded. She kept a tight hold on Gibbs' arm as she approached the bedside. She stroked Tony's pale cheek, absently noting the cast on his left hand, the IV's and monitors.

"Oh, my love. What have you done to yourself?"

_**I love Dr. Brad, so I had to bring him back. Several times on the show we've had suspects and I think maybe Gibbs and Tony run into cars and they never get hurt. I know I would be smashed, haha. Anyway, hope you are enjoying the story. Please review!**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**True to Brad's word, about an hour later Ziva and Gibbs were taken to ICU to see Tony. Ziva's knees buckled when she saw her husband and the father of her children lying so still, not breathing on his own.**_

_**Gibbs caught her before she fell. "Ok, Ziver?" He whispered in her hair.**_

_**Ziva composed herself and nodded. She kept a tight hold on Gibbs' arm as she approached the bedside. She stroked Tony's pale cheek, absently noting the cast on his left hand, the IV's and monitors.**_

"_**Oh, my love. What have you done to yourself?"**_

Chapter Fourteen:

Gibbs took Ziva home after she had visited Tony for an hour. She was exhausted and Tony wasn't going to wake up any time soon. She checked every part of his body, to prove to herself the extent of his injuries.

She didn't like the look of the chest tube, but understood its necessity. She watched knowingly as Gibbs whispered in Tony's ear, most likely telling him to get his ass out of bed.

He took her arm and guided her to the car. She was quiet on the drive home, but turned to him went he pulled into the driveway.

"What do I say to Karina? She will look for Tony. He should be here." She looked down.

"Hey, tell her the truth. Kids know if you are lying to them. I don't mean give her all of the details, but tell her Tony had an accident and is getting better and will be home soon. Tell her he has a 'big boo-boo'; she'll understand that." Gibbs squeezed her hand.

Ziva smiled at "big boo-boo". She slowly unbuckled and got out of the car. Gibbs walked her up to the house. Mimi heard them drive up and met them at the door, holding Jack.

Ziva immediately took Jack, kissing his head and holding him close to her chest. "Thank you, Mimi." She whispered gratefully. "Is Karina sleeping?"

Mimi sat on the sofa with Gibbs, watching Ziva closely. "Yes, I put her to bed a half hour ago. I told her you would be home soon and you would want her to go to bed."

"She did not ask about Tony?" Ziva asked, surprise.

Mimi leaned forward. "She's too young to notice things like this, and to foresee future events. Daddy's home when Daddy's home. That's all she knows. I purposely did not bring him up." She cleared her throat.

"I am sure he will be fine, Ziva. Brad is the absolute best." Mimi grabbed Gibbs' hand.

Ziva nodded, cuddling her baby. "But what will this do to him going forward? Will he be able to work? Or at least stay in the field?" Ziva expressed the concerns Gibbs was feeling.

"Ziver, we'll worry about that when it comes. Let's not borrow trouble. One day at a time, ok?" Gibbs said quietly.

Ziva held his gaze, looking for some sign that he was holding back something. But all she saw was his love and concern for his "kids". She nodded, and then turned to Mimi.

"Am I able to take Jack with me to the hospital? I do not want to take Karina. I was thinking I could take her to daycare at work when I went to visit Tony."

Mimi considered the question. "I don't think you should, Ziva. Wait, let me tell you why. There are many sick people in the hospital, and I don't mean just the patients. Jack's immunity is not fully developed yet. You don't want to expose him to any potential infections."

Ziva sat stunned. She hadn't considered that. She sighed. "I do not want to keep imposing on everyone, but I am not ready to leave Jack at the NCIS child care facility."

Gibbs looked at Mimi. "Bring them both in. We can take care of Jack between all of us. If we get called out into the field, we'll take him down to the lab. Or to Vance." Gibbs smirked.

Ziva looked unsure. "Ziva, it will be ok. Trust me. You don't want to take Jack to the hospital with you." Gibbs insisted.

She nodded slowly, agreeing with his proposal. "All right. I will call before I come in, to let you know we are on the way." She smoothed Jack's hair. "He is already getting a few curls." She marveled at her son.

"Get some sleep, Ziva. You've had a stressful day, and a rambunctious little girl will greet you in the morning." Mimi advised.

Gibbs stood up and offered Mimi a hand. Ziva looked up at them and smiled. "Thank you for taking care of us."

Gibbs smiled and bent down to kiss her. Mimi kissed her cheek. "You call if you need anything, got it?" Gibbs said to her as they turned to leave.

"Got it, Gibbs." Ziva responded.

**Tim and Abby's Home**

"Abby?" Tim called out when he got home from work. He was worried about telling Abby about Tony, but knew he had to. She would never forgive him if she found out he kept it from her.

"Up here!" She called out. She held out her arms when he came up, giving him a big hug and kiss. She pulled back and looked at him, frowning. "Something's happened. What's wrong?"

Tim kept his arm around her. "Tony got hurt at work today. He's going to be fine. He has a broken hand and some cracked ribs. They're watching him because of his lung history."

Abby had gasped when he mentioned Tony was hurt. She frowned when he brought up Tony's previous illness.

"They're worried about his breathing? Spill it, Tim. What aren't you telling me?" Abby grabbed his hand.

"Ok, just keep calm. I want those babies to come on time, not early." Tim held her tightly. Abby looked pale at that.

"He was having trouble breathing at the scene. He's at Walter Reed. They put him on a ventilator and inserted a chest tube to drain some blood in his left lung."

"Oh my God. Poor Tony! Poor Ziva! Is she ok? I need to go to her." Tim stopped Abby as she tried to get out of bed.

"Whoa, whoa Abby! You are not going anywhere. Gibbs is taking care of Ziva. And Dr. Pitt is taking care of Tony. He'll be fine."

Abby had tears in her eyes. "You don't know that, Timmy!" She plucked at her comforter, rubbing her stomach.

Tim tried to comfort her as best he could. He was terribly worried about Tony, but he needed to keep a brave face on for Abby's and the babies' sake.

"What about Karina? And Jack! Oh, my God he's still a newborn. It's not fair, Tim." Abby hid her head in his shoulder.

"Abby, you need to calm down. I don't want to call Mimi. Tony is in good hands and is getting the best medical care. Ziva has seen him, and Mimi is taking care of the kids. I want you to relax, ok? I knew I shouldn't have told you."

"No! Timmy, of'course you needed to tell me. How can you even say that? I'm fine, I am upset, yes. But I am fine. F.I.N.E., ok?" Abby took McGee's face in her hands to make sure he was looking at her and listening to what she was saying.

Tim kissed her deeply and touched his forehead against hers. "It was so scary, Abbs. Seeing Tony hit by that car, seeing him fly into the street." Tim shuddered.

Abby gulped, now hearing exactly what had happened. She held Tim tightly, letting him get his emotions under control.

**Walter Reed**

Brad was waiting for Ziva when she arrived. She had dropped Karina and Jack off at NCIS at ten a.m. Everyone came up to see Jack, as only the team had met him. She had a little trouble getting away from the throng of well-wishers, between their congratulations on the baby and their concern for Tony. It was noon before she finally got to Tony's room.

"Hi, heard you had trouble tearing yourself away from the Navy Yard." Brad smiled.

"Something like that. How is Tony?" Ziva smiled at Brad, frazzled at being so late.

"He's doing well. There has been no more bleeding so we have clamped the chest tube. If his lung remains inflated and no further bleeding occurs, we will take the chest tube out. We will also start weaning him off the sedation to monitor his pulmonary status. If all goes well, he could be extubated by tomorrow."

Ziva held her breath as she listened to Brad explain his plan of care for Tony. He opened the door to the room and they both entered.

She leaned over and kissed his cheek, running her fingers through this hair. She took his un-casted right hand in his and looked at Brad. "How will this affect his ability to remain in the field?"

Brad looked surprised, not expecting the question. He carefully considered his words. "Well, until we wake him up and evaluate his lung function, I can't really say how this will affect his work, for good or for bad. But I think it also depends on the physical requirements of NCIS. He clearly doesn't need to run a mile under ten minutes, or maybe even fifteen minutes."

Ziva looked confused. "How do you know that?"

Brad smiled softly. "Gibbs. The man has no knees. There's no way he would pass a physical test of speed or possibly even endurance. Clearly he is not banned from the field."

Ziva chuckled softly at Brad's assessment. What he said was true. Gibbs had terrible knees, and although he could run when he had to, he didn't run often and it didn't keep him out of the field. She felt better.

She looked at Tony again, and pulled up a chair. "Please let me know when you are waking him up. I want to be here; he will be scared." Ziva said softly.

Brad nodded in agreement. "Tony was actually a very good patient eleven years ago. He will be scared and anxious, but he _will_ follow orders."

"Can you tell me about what happened? Tony does not like to talk about it. He…just waves his hand like it is no big deal. But it was. He almost died." Ziva's eyes were dark with emotion.

"I take it you were not part of the team then?" Brad pulled up a chair. "Tony opened an envelope that contained y. Pestis. I don't know the specifics of the case, I mean why it happened. The floor was locked down and the team was all tested. Tony was obviously exposed so he had to come here and be placed in isolation until we found out what, if anything, he had been exposed to and how to treat it. We were dismayed when we found out it was chemically altered."

"That means there was no useful treatment for it, then, yes?" Ziva asked quietly.

"Unfortunately. We gave him antibiotics once his blood came back positive, but it was more palliative than useful. Tony survived the plague on his own. And Agent Todd was lucky she didn't catch it from him since she refused to leave his side."

Ziva's head snapped up at that. "Agent Todd? What do you mean she wouldn't leave his side?" This was news to her. No one had mentioned Kate being at Bethesda with Tony.

"Kate was admitted as a precaution because she had upper respiratory symptoms. She kept complaining she had a cold before the incident, but we had protocols to follow. She came back negative, but when we told her Tony was infected, she refused to leave. Staying with him until…well I kicked her out when I thought we had reached our time and Tony was going to die. I didn't want her there for that."

Ziva sat stunned, hearing that Kate had stayed with Tony while he was dying. Had they been…? She shook her head, dismayed by her thoughts. But it made her feel all the more upset at the ensuing events. She had never considered that Tony may have had feelings for Kate, other than as a work partner, and vice versa. No one had ever offered that opinion to her, but then again, she was not exactly confided in when she first arrived.

She thought back to her dossiers on each team member that she had compiled for Ari. If anything, she remembered wondering about the relationship between Kate and Gibbs, not Kate and Tony. She had surveilled the team months before, and noticed a familiarity and comfort between the team leader and the lone female Agent. She likened Tony and Kate to squabbling children more than anything. She realized Brad was still talking and turned her thoughts back to him.

"I heard weeks later that Kate had been killed in the field. It was such a terrible loss and she was such a really nice person. She and Tony reminded me of me and my sister. Fight constantly but always have each other's back. I guess you were her replacement?"

Ziva took a breath. "Yes, eventually. I was a member of Mossad, and we investigated Agent Todd's death with NCIS. I was offered the position of Liaison with NCIS. Six years ago, I quit Mossad and became an American Citizen and an NCIS Special Agent."

Brad's eyes widened when Ziva had said she was Mossad. He didn't press for details why Mossad was investigating Kate's death. He looked at her with a new appreciation. This information certainly explained her exotic beauty. He stood up.

"Will you be here long? I will check back around 3 p.m. If Tony looks good, we'll take out the chest tube." Brad told her.

"I will be here." Ziva said softly, looking at Tony.

**NCIS**

"Director, here are the reports you requested." Gibbs handed out the folders.

"Thanks, Gibbs." Vance glanced up and did a double take. "Are we recruiting younger Agents now?" He asked, looking pointedly at Jack, who was sleeping in Gibbs arms.

"Yeah, well that way we can mold them." Gibbs looked down affectionately at his grandson.

Vance smiled and stood. "He's looking more like Karina everyday isn't he? How is Agent DiNozzo doing, both of them?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Ziva is at the hospital right now. She called and said that they are taking out the chest tube, and seeing how Tony does. He's not out of the woods yet, but he's doing well."

Vance nodded. "Any idea how long DiNozzo will be out?"

Gibbs hedged. "No, not really."

"You're team is short, Gibbs." Vance reminded him.

"I already have Dorneget filling in for Ziva. Ziva will be back in…three weeks…"

"But not in the field. And then McGee will be taking leave when Mrs. McGee has those twins. You need help, Gibbs. Pick someone before I pick them for you. No one is being replaced. I know that is your concern. We'll deal with DiNozzo when the time comes."

Gibbs sat down. "Well, I guess now is as good as time as any to tell you my thoughts for the team, Leon." He looked down at Jack, who was beginning to stir. He looked back up, smiling to see the look of confusion and alarm on Vance's face.

**Tony and Ziva's Home- North Arlington**

"You are a very good girl, Karina. Mommy and Daddy are very proud of you." Ziva cooed to her daughter as she bathed her. Karina slapped at the water, playing with her plastic shark that Dorneget had given her.

"Daddy!" Karina laughed and clapped, looking to the door of the bathroom.

Ziva's heart broke. "No, sweetness. Daddy is not home right now. Soon though. He misses and loves you and Jack very much."

"Ja…" Karina gurgled.

Ziva smiled wide. "Yes, Karina. Jack, your baby brother. Aren't you a big girl saying his name so well."

Karina giggled. She let Ziva dry her off and kissed her when she took her in her arms.

She carried her into her bedroom and got her dressed for bed. Jack was still sleeping, so she sat Karina in her lap and read her a book. Karina loved books and Ziva often found her looking at them on her own, even if they were sometimes upside down.

Ziva spent some extra time cuddling with Karina, missing Tony and feeling guilty for leaving her so much lately. Bridget was lying at her feet, watching the door. Ziva knew she was waiting for Tony to come home.

"Soon, Bridget. Daddy will be home soon. Then he will be with you at home for a while. You will like that, won't you?" Bridget looked up with her doggy smile and wagged her tail.

Ziva brushed Karina's hair, marveling at the natural highlights. Karina's eyes were drooping, so tired after her big day at "work". She loved going back to work, and had a good time telling everyone what had been going on. The other babies were amazed that she had a new baby living with her. Karina had held her hands out, as if to say "what can I do about it?"

Kissing her daughter, Ziva gently laid her down in the crib and covered her with a blanket. Winter had lingered longer than usual, even though it was officially spring. They still had some mornings in the thirty degree range, which was absurd.

Ziva was looking forward to warmer weather so she could take Karina and Jack out doors for fresh air, but it would have to wait. She picked up a few errant toys and put them away.

She walked resignedly into the master bedroom, immediately reminded of Tony and that he was not there. She went to the closet and grabbed one of his jerseys and put it on. Drinking in his fragrance…eau DiNozzo Tony jokingly called it; she lay down on his side of the bed, clutching his pillow to her chest.

**Walter Reed**

Ziva and Gibbs waiting anxiously as Brad and his team were weaning Tony off of the sedation. So far, he had been doing well and did not need additional pulmonary support as he became more awake.

After talking to Ziva, and explaining the risks, they decided to extubate Tony and put him on a nasal cannula. Once they were done, she and Gibbs were allowed to go back into the room.

The difference was night and day, and Ziva had to work hard to keep from crying. Now Tony just looked like he was sleeping, instead of being critically ill. Brad jotted some things in Tony's chart.

"We've dialed down the meds, so he could start waking up within the hour. We'll keep an eye on him to make sure he can manage breathing on his own while he is awake and possibly agitated. His pain level will also make a difference."

"I guess he hasn't really been feeling pain at this point, has he Brad?" Gibbs asked.

He shook his head. "No, he's been out like a light. So pain could be a factor." Brad acknowledged.

Ziva nodded and took her usual seat, holding his hand. Gibbs settled into the other chair with a cup of coffee and a magazine.

About an hour and a half later, Tony moaned a little bit. Ziva and Gibbs both sat up straight. Ziva quickly grabbed the nurse's call bell to let them know that he was waking up.

Brad showed up about fifteen minutes later. By this time, Tony's eyelids were slowly opening and closing, but he wasn't quite awake yet.

"He's coming around. Vitals look good, oxygenation is good." Brad checked the monitors.

"Ziva?" Tony's voice croaked out, so soft she almost didn't hear it.

"Yes, Tony I am here. You are fine. Gibbs is here." Ziva stroked his forehead soothingly.

Tony's eyes opened wide. He looked at Ziva, then Gibbs, then back to Ziva. "I am so sorry." He whispered.

Ziva kissed him, letting her tears fall on his cheeks. "It was not your fault, Tony. All we care about is that you are going to be ok."

Tony held onto Ziva, scared now that he remembered what happened. He looked around, taking in the monitors and his cast. "My chest hurts." He said, worried.

Ziva looked at Brad in alarm. "Hey, Tony. Does it hurt to breathe or does it hurt like you are banged up?"

Tony looked startled when he saw Brad. "Dr. Brad Pitt? Oh, no it's bad isn't it?" He looked at Gibbs.

"Tony, they called me because I treated you before. You remember being hit by the car?"

Tony nodded yes, keeping his eyes on Brad as he explained what was going on.

"Ok, good. Colliding with the car caused an injury to your left lung; you had some bleeding and difficulty breathing. We decided to put you under sedation and put a breathing tube in to give your lungs a rest. We also had to put in a chest tube to drain the blood, but we took that out yesterday. And as you can tell, you are no longer on the ventilator."

Tony looked back and forth between Brad and Ziva. "Yesterday? How long have I been here?"

"This is day three counting when you came in, Tony." Gibbs answered.

Tony closed his eyes, shocked that he had been out for so long. "Ziva, the kids…"

"They are fine. They miss their daddy." She smiled softly, stroking his hair.

"How's the breathing, Tony?" Brad asked, as he listened to his lungs with his stethoscope.

Tony considered the question. "Well, my throat is killing me. And my left side hurts, but it's not unbearable. Ok, I guess, considering I am just laying here doing nothing."

Brad chuckled at that. "Understood. We'll sit you up on the side of the bed tonight. If you tolerate that ok, we can look at sitting in a chair and walking tomorrow."

"When can I go home? Tony blurted out, grimacing at the pain in his throat.

_**Aw, poor Tony. Thanks for embracing this storyline. This is going to bring all sorts of changes for the team. Stay tuned!**_


	15. Chapter 15

"_**How's the breathing, Tony?" Brad asked, as he listened to his lungs with his stethoscope.**_

_**Tony considered the question. "Well, my throat is killing me. And my left side hurts, but it's not unbearable. Ok, I guess, considering I am just laying here doing nothing."**_

_**Brad chuckled at that. "Understood. We'll sit you up on the side of the bed tonight. If you tolerate that ok, we can look at sitting in a chair and walking tomorrow."**_

"_**When can I go home? Tony blurted out, grimacing at the pain in his throat.**_

Chapter Fifteen: A Question of Labor

Two days later, Tony was finally discharged from the hospital. He was dismayed at his post-injury instructions: He had to take breathing treatments three times a day for a month. After being home for a week, he was to start pulmonary rehab, which worried him to even think about.

Gibbs had taken Ziva to the hospital to take Tony home. Tony sat in the front with Gibbs, since it was easier for him to get into the passenger front seat. Mimi was at their house with the babies. They had told Karina that her daddy was coming home. She was very excited, and Mimi dressed her and Jack up so they would look nice.

Karina liked her frilly dress and played with the skirt, bringing it up over her face. "Peek-a-boo!" Mimi chuckled as Karina squealed in delight. She turned as she heard the car pulled in the driveway and garage.

"Mommy and Daddy's home!" Mimi clapped.

"Mommy Daddy!" Karina mimicked, delighted that Mimi thought she was so funny.

Gibbs came in first, carrying some things from the hospital. He went over and picked up Karina so she wouldn't try to run to Tony and possibly knock him over in her exuberance.

Ziva walked in with Tony, easing her arm around his waist and offering whatever support she could.

Tony walked slowly and painfully, pissed that he had to stop to catch his breath. "Nice and slow, Tony." Ziva said soothingly.

"Daddy!" Karina laughed and held her arms out. Gibbs held on to her and helped her lean over to him to kiss him. "Give Daddy a kiss, Princess." Gibbs told her. "Nice kisses, that's my girl."

Karina was very gentle with Tony, since her Grandpa told her to be nice. She wasn't troubled that Tony didn't take her since Gibbs had her.

"Sit down, Tony and rest before we get you upstairs. Your son wants to see you." Ziva guided Tony to the sofa and he carefully sat down.

Mimi brought Jack over and gently laid him in Tony's lap. Tony felt tears come to his eyes, but he didn't really want to cry because he knew if would make it that much more difficult to breathe.

Jack looked up at Tony, eyeing him carefully. Then to everyone's astonishment, he gave his first smile: a lopsided goofy drooling grin that was comical and adorable at the same time.

"Look! He's smiling!" Tony beamed. Ziva covered her mouth and smiled. She looked at Tony with shining eyes.

"He saved his first smile for his daddy." She said proudly. Gibbs and Mimi grinned at each other. Jack raised one eyebrow and burped.

"That's my boy!" Tony laughed. Everyone laughed with him, each thinking that he had a long haul, but things were off to a good start.

After about twenty minutes, Tony was done, so Gibbs helped him upstairs. Once he got into their bedroom, Ziva set up his breathing machine like Brad had taught them and he had a nebulized treatment.

"How long will you need to do that, Tony?" Gibbs asked, eyeing the machine dubiously.

Tony looked at his Boss, knowing his concerns. "At least a month. Not sure after that. Brad indicated I may have to take treatments for the rest of my life, but maybe only as, what did he call it?" Tony looked to Ziva for help.

Ziva looked at their discharge instructions. "It says here 'PRN' which I understand is Latin for 'pro re nata', as needed. So I think it means Tony may find he will need a breathing treatment now and then."

Mimi nodded. "I would imagine you will also need a rescue inhaler with you at all times."

"Oh, yeah." Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out the small inhaler. "When I am out and about, whenever _that_ will be." Tony sounded depressed.

Ziva frowned and looked at Mimi. Mimi walked over to him and put her hands on her hips.

"Tony DiNozzo, you are going to be fine. Yeah, you may have to take it easier than you are used to; maybe you will never run that marathon that you were never planning on running anyway."

Gibbs and Ziva chuckled at that. "She's got you there, DiNozzo. Come on, I now this is hard, but if you do what Brad says, things will get better."

"So I should just suck it up, is that what you are saying? Assuming I can get enough air to perform said suck?" Tony sighed, acknowledging the truth of what they were saying to him. He looked at Karina, who was rocking her baby in her little chair.

"I want to run with my kids and ride bikes with them, and play football and baseball and basketball with Jack…"

"_And _Karina. And you will do those things. But even without this, you wouldn't have been the same as you were when you were in college. We all get older Tony, even me." Ziva said soothingly. "They will understand."

"Hell, yeah. They'll even be happy that can beat their old man at something." Gibbs offered, giving Tony a light head slap.

Tony chuckled at that. "Ok, I get it. It could have been a lot worse. I'm here and that's what counts, right?" Tony looked at Ziva for confirmation that would be enough, worry clearly showing on his face that it wouldn't.

Ziva held his hand. "It is _all_ that matters, Tony. That you are here with me and Karina and Jack and any future children we may have. We only want you." She kissed him softly.

"I don't deserve you. I'm sorry I'm being such a baby." Tony murmured.

"Baby!" Karina piped up. "Daddy baby!" She clapped and brought Tony her baby.

"Thank you, Punkin. That's just what Daddy needs." He bent down to kiss her and held her baby. He looked at Gibbs and Mimi, who were smiling at him. Gibbs felt better. Tony would be ok now.

**April 20****th**** 2014**

Abby was singing as she went through her hospital bag. "I am so excited Timmy. We're going to be parents today!"

Tim poked his head through the bathroom door. "What? Are you in labor?"

"No silly, but the babies are due today, and I just know they are going to come." Abby hugged herself contentedly and continued looking through her bag to make sure she had everything.

Abby was more than ready for this pregnancy to be over with. Other than being on bed rest for two months it had been smooth sailing. Mimi was happy with how much weight she had gained, even if Abby was not.

Mimi was also pleased that Abby's pelvic muscles and tendons had stabilized and had not worsened over the last few weeks. They had all discussed the logistics of what to do when Abby went into labor.

First, Mimi had decided that the minute Abby felt contractions they needed to come to the hospital, rather than wait for them to increase in duration and intensity. Mimi felt Abby could make it down the stairs with Tim's assistance.

Tim would then back their car into the garage, making the passenger door closer to the entrance from their house to the garage and less distance for Abby to walk.

Tim came out and sat on the bed. "How's Stan working out?" Abby looked up from her task.

Tim smiled. "You know, it's been really fun. I was worried because he was Gibbs's Senior Field Agent before, that he may try to take charge, but he's content to step back and let me take the lead."

Stan Burley was in the area since his wife had been stationed at the Pentagon. Stan and Melinda had been married for about seven months, having gotten married in September of 2013 in San Diego. If Tim and Abby had realized it, they would have extended their honeymoon to attend the wedding.

Stan even mentioned it when he realized they had been there during that month. When he told the team he was engaged during the case Tim's father showed up, they knew he was leaving the Agent Afloat position, but they weren't sure what he was planning to do.

Stan had worked it out with Vance to be a "Special Agent at Large" of sorts, working to help out where needed wherever his wife's duty station was. So far he had finished up in the Europe and Africa Command, and then she had been transferred to the Pentagon in March.

Stan had immediately contacted Gibbs, more to say "Hi" than anything else. After hearing through the grapevine that Gibbs was short, he offered his services, which Gibbs was extremely gratified to accept. It solved a lot of problems that Gibbs didn't really want to think about.

Stan presently sat at Tony's desk, with Dorneget at Ziva's. Dornie took an instant liking to Stan, and really enjoyed learning from him. He was a good teacher, so Dornie stuck close to his side.

Ziva was due back next week, but she was considering taking another week since Tony was still pretty weak. But that would all depend on when Abby gave birth.

"Gibbs and Mimi are coming by tonight after dinner to check on you." Tim kissed her temple. He smiled as he looked at the double cradle, rocking chair and changing table already set up in anticipation.

"Well, hopefully they will need to meet us at the hospital instead of here!" Abby piped up, her dimples showing.

Tim sat on the bed. "Abby, are you feeling any contractions at all?"

Abby's bright face clouded a bit. "No, just the same old Braxton-Hicks I've been having for some time now." She sighed heavily.

"I want the babies to come, Timmy! I'm tired of waiting; I want to meet our children." She leaned back against her pillows. "And I'm tired of lying in bed all day. My back is so sore from being in one of three positions all the time, it's not funny!" Abby pouted.

"I know, Abbs. I want them to come, too." Tim rubbed her shoulders. "Maybe Mimi will be able to give an idea when they come tonight." He added hopefully.

Tim kept an eye on Abby throughout the day. Since it was Sunday and they didn't have the weekend call, he was glad he was able to be at home. Frankly, he wouldn't put it past Abby to try to do something to precipitate the labor, though for the life of him he couldn't think of what that might be.

Abby purpose ate a light, early dinner, thinking it would be better when she gave birth. Tim finally gave up trying to get her to eat more. He knew intellectually that she would eat when she got too hungry, and she would never put the babies in danger.

Gibbs and Mimi arrived around six, coming upstairs to check on Abby.

"Mimi! You look great!" Abby smiled wide as they came into the bedroom.

Mimi and Gibbs gave her hugs and kisses. "Thanks, Abby." Mimi blushed, her hand on her tummy. "We made it past the first trimester, so things are going well."

Abby clapped. "When do you have your amnio?" She asked, looking at Gibbs.

"The earliest it can be done is sixteen weeks, Abbs." Gibbs answered, surprising both Abby and Tim with his knowledge and comfort in discussing such things.

"Ok, enough about me. How are you doing?" Mimi asked pointedly.

Abby finally deflated. "I was so hoping they would come today." She said quietly.

Mimi looked at Tim, who was looking at Abby with such a look of love that it made her heart skip a beat.

Mimi turned to Gibbs. "Honey, if you can step out, I'll take a quick look to see where things are, ok?"

Gibbs raised his hands. "Hey, you don't have to ask me twice. Tim, are you staying or coming with me?"

Tim looked at Abby, but decided he would keep Gibbs company. "I'll come down with you, Boss." He gave Abby a kiss, and caressed her cheek.

"We'll be downstairs, ok?" He cupped her face.

"Ok." She whispered back. Tim gave Mimi's arm a squeeze, and then he and Gibbs headed downstairs. Jethro jumped up and quickly ran after then, causing Mimi and Abby to chuckle.

"So much for me." Abby announced, laughing at the dog.

Tim handed Gibbs a beer, but didn't take one himself. "Have you talked to Tony or Ziva today?" Tim asked. Tony had been home for almost two weeks now and Tim was anxious to have him back, even if it was only desk work.

Gibbs took a swallow. "We saw them earlier. He has an appointment tomorrow with Dr. Pitt. He looks better, Tim. Has more color and he doesn't get out of breath as much as he used to. But he's still not one hundred per cent. He's been in rehab for a week now. I think it's helping."

Tim digested that. "Do you think he will be back?" Tim didn't want to ask the question, and he dreaded the idea that Tony wouldn't be returning to the team.

Gibbs cocked his head. "Oh, he'll be back, in some way or another. He may not be able to go out in the field as much as he did, though."

Tim nodded, considering the ramifications of that.

Upstairs, Mimi had Abby lay down so she could do a quick exam. She looked up at Abby. "Have you felt any contractions?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Abby shrugged. "Just Braxton-Hicks, why?"

Mimi persisted. "You have no pain or discomfort at all?"

Abby looked surprised at that. "Well, yeah. My lower back has been bothering me, but it always hurts. Mimi?" Abby's eyes were wide.

Mimi raised her eyes upward. "Jethro! Tim!" She called out.

They both looked upstairs at Mimi's voice yelling out to them. They quickly glanced at each other and then rushed up the stairs.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Tim panted when he flew into the bedroom.

"Jethro, you need to move our car so Tim can back his car into the garage. Abby's been having back labor all day. She's already six centimeters dilated." Mimi took charge and began ordering everyone about. She turned to Abby, who was shocked.

"Abby, you are further along than I would have liked before getting you to the hospital. Hopefully your water won't break before we get there."

Abby rubbed her belly. "That was labor? All this time I've been moaning about not having contractions and I was having them?"

"I guess I should have given you better childbirth training. Not being able to go to the classes like you intended made you miss out on some important details…like back labor." Mimi was mad at herself for not discussing this possibility with Tim and Abby.

"Mimi, don't beat yourself up over this. You're here now, and we know I'm in labor. Oh my God! I'm in labor!" Abby marveled at the idea.

Mimi smiled. "Yes, you are. Where's your bag?" Abby pointed over to the rocking chair, where it was sitting.

"Ok, I'm going to take this downstairs to the car, then I'll have Jethro and Tim get you up out of bed and downstairs. No, you wait for them." Mimi stopped Abby as she realized she was going to try to get up on her own.

Abby nodded in excitement, not willing to do anything that could rush things now that she knew how far along things had already progressed.

Mimi met Gibbs and Tim downstairs and handed Tim the bag. When he got back, she led them back upstairs to get Abby up. Together, they helped her stand. "Oops, I need shoes I guess." Abby looked at her socked feet.

Tim smacked his head. He came back with some sneakers, but he couldn't get them to go on Abby's swollen feet.

Mimi frowned. "Do you have any slippers? Or slide ons?"

Tim handed over the furry slip ballet type shoes that had cat faces on them and Abby was able to get her feet in them. Mimi didn't like them because they had no traction, but it was the best they could do at the moment.

Working together, Gibbs and Tim slowly guided Abby down the stairs. Tim helped her on with her coat, and then they helped her into the car.

He looked back at Jethro. "What about him?" He asked.

Gibbs looked at Tim. "Well, he can't go to the hospital with you, if that's what you're asking."

Tim blushed. "No, but how long will we be there? It could be hours before the babies come."

Gibbs looked at Mimi, suddenly thinking the same thing about Bailey.

"Ziva and Tony aren't going anywhere. You two; take off. Mimi, go with them. I'll take care of animal control and meet you there."

Mimi didn't need another push. "Ok, let's go." She herded Tim out to the car.

Gibbs took out his phone and called Ziva. "Hi, it's me. Abby's gone into labor. Yeah, no, you need to stay home. This is another reason why I'm calling. Can you watch Bailey and Jethro? Are you sure? Ok, I'm bringing them over in a few. Huh? I'll tell you when I get there. Ok, bye." Gibbs hung up and looked at Jethro.

"Ok, looks like you're going on a sleep-over. Grab your gear!"

Jethro obediently went to his leash. Gibbs chuckled. "Good Boy!" He picked up his food and water dishes and dog food. "Let's go, in the car."

Gibbs drove around the block and looked at Jethro. "I know, anti-climactic. Stay here, I'll be right back."

Locking the car, Gibbs went in and got Bailey and his things. Jethro started barking in excitement when he saw Bailey. They sat in the back together, comparing notes.

Gibbs then took the two block drive to Tony and Ziva's home. They were standing at the door when he pulled up. Ziva came out and helped with Bailey. Tony grabbed the bowls and food.

The dogs almost bowled them over trying to get inside so they could see Bridget. Karina laughed and clapped when they all came in. "Doggies!" She squealed in excitement.

"Yay, doggies." Tony mimicked. "So, how's Abby, or more importantly, how's Tim?"

"Excited, nervous. Apparently Abby was in labor all day and didn't know it. She's already six centimeters dilated."

Ziva opened her mouth in surprise. "Wow, I mean…wow. How could she not know she was in labor? I found it to be very painful."

Gibbs shrugged. "Something about back labor? Abby thought it was just a back ache I guess."

Tony and Ziva both had an "Ah" expression on their faces, knowing from their prenatal classes that a back ache can actually be labor.

"Wish we could be there, but…" Tony trailed off. Gibbs put his hand on his shoulder.

"They know, and they understand. Timing sucks, but you need to take care of yourself first. You'll see them soon enough. This reminds me, I better get going. Abby may forgive you, but she will never forgive me if I'm not there when she pops out those babies."

Ziva and Tony chuckled and waved good-bye as Gibbs drove off. Ziva picked up Karina and cuddled her. "Just think, little one. You will soon have two little cousins to play with. That will be so much fun, yes?" She kissed Karina's cheek.

Karina smiled and nodded in agreement. She reached out for Tony, who took her, grateful that he was feeling better and could handle this small thing.

"I guess you should start back tomorrow, after all." Tony said with some sadness. As much as he didn't like being ill, he enjoyed spending this extra time with his family.

Ziva shook her head. "No, tomorrow I will go with you to see Brad. Then I will talk to Gibbs regarding my return. He has Stan and Ned right now. Having one less for a week or so will not be a burden."

Tony put his arm around her waist. "You know, I'm thinking I may be strong enough for some _exercise_ when your restrictions have lifted." He smiled seductively at his wife, raising an eyebrow for emphasis.

Ziva chuckled and shook her head. "You are definitely feeling better." She retorted, knowing he was talking about making love. She playfully punched his arm, and then leaned into to soften the blow.

He kissed her temple, feeling better than he had since he had been injured. He put Karina down and she toddled over to her toys, picking up Bobo and kissing the furry dog. Bailey, Jethro and Bridget immediately joined her and soon all four were on the floor.

"Just think, twins. Can you imagine? I can't." Tony shuddered. "You don't have twins is your family do you?" He suddenly looked nervous.

Ziva smiled. "Are you worried our next child might end up being two?" She laughed at him, shaking her head. "There is nothing we can do about it if it happens, but I have no reason to believe it will. I believe Abby has twins in her family, somewhere. I do not, at least not that I am aware of."

Tony gave a sigh of relief. He smiled when he thought of Abby and Tim running around their home after two babies, and realized with a pang that he couldn't wait to meet his new nephew and niece.

_**Finally! Babies next chapter, plus the names. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Loved being able to include Stan in this story. Thanks to NCIS for making that possible. Please review!**_


	16. Chapter 16

"_**Just think, twins. Can you imagine? I can't." Tony shuddered. "You don't have twins is your family do you?" He suddenly looked nervous.**_

_**Ziva smiled. "Are you worried our next child might end up being two?" She laughed at him, shaking her head. "There is nothing we can do about it if it happens, but I have no reason to believe it will. I believe Abby has twins in her family, somewhere. I do not, at least not that I am aware of."**_

_**Tony gave a sigh of relief. He smiled when he thought of Abby and Tim running around their home after two babies, and realized with a pang that he couldn't wait to meet his new nephew and niece.**_

Chapter Sixteen:

Gibbs walked into the family waiting area of the Labor and Delivery Unit at Walter Reed.

The Nurse at the desk smiled when he came in. "Jethro, good to see you. Mimi is with a patient." The Nurse smiled at him.

Gibbs smiled back. "Yeah I know. Abby McGee. She's one of mine."

The Nurse nodded knowingly. Mimi had told them all about her husband's relationship with his team at NCIS. "I'll just let Mimi know you are here. Mrs. McGee is being examined at the moment."

Gibbs waved his hand and sat down. He knew they could be here for a long time. He decided to call his dad to give him a heads up.

"Hi, Dad! How are you doing?" Gibbs smiled as Jackson rambled about the store and some noisy new neighbor he had.

"But you're not calling to hear me run my mouth. Is everything ok?" He looked concerned.

"Oh, yeah. I just wanted to let you know that Abby is finally in labor with the twins. We're at the hospital now."

Jackson smiled in delight. "That's wonderful, Jethro! Any idea how much longer? I've been waiting for those two rascals for a while now."

Gibbs grinned, shaking his head. "Not really sure, since Abby was in labor for a while and didn't know. I'll call you back when they are born, unless it's the middle of the night. Just wanted to let you know that they are coming, Dad."

"Well, I appreciate that son. And how's young Master Jackson doing?" He asked.

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Young Master Jackson" was his Dad's current moniker for his namesake.

"Oh, he's doing great, Dad. Gave Tony his first smile yesterday when he came home from the hospital. And Tony is doing better. He'll be out for a couple of weeks yet, but I do expect him to be back."

Jackson nodded, concerned. "Well, that's good to hear, Jethro. He's a good man. There all good."

Gibbs had to agree with that assessment. "Ok, Dad. Well I better go. I'm just waiting for Mimi to come out and tell me what's what."

"Ok, son. Thanks for calling. Goodbye, now. Love you."

"I love you too, Dad." Gibbs smiled and closed his phone. He looked up as Mimi came through the automatic doors.

"The dogs all settled then?" She asked after giving him a quick kiss.

"Oh, yeah. They are pretty happy at the moment. Not sure Tony and Ziva are with three crazy dogs, but Karina is thrilled." Gibbs chuckled.

Mimi laughed at that. "Well, Abby's water broke as soon as we started getting her undressed, so she is definitely having these babies. Come on back, she's settled in bed and pretty comfortable." She took his hand and led him down the hall.

"Knock, knock." She called out as she also knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Abby's happy sing-song voice made Gibbs shake his head.

"Think she'll be this happy the whole time?" He asked Mimi.

Mimi looked dubious but gave a smirk. "God, I hope so."

"Hi!" Abby called out. "Gibbs, the babies are coming!" She held out her arms.

Gibbs complied and hugged her, kissing the top of her head. "I know, Abbs. That's why I'm here. McGee, how are you holding up?"

"I'm good, Boss. Thanks." Tim smiled at Abby's excitement. Tim had a more glazed look to his face, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't excited as well.

"We've called everyone. Kyle is on his way. Luca of'course is in Louisiana so he won't be here, but they are visiting this summer." Abby rubbed her belly, and then got an odd look on her face.

"Abby?" Mimi asked. "Are you ok?"

Abby looked at Mimi, then Tim after about ten seconds. "I think I felt a contraction, I mean a _real_ contraction, not one of those back things." She was totally blown away by the sensation, and not particularly pleased.

"I guess by your remark it was painful?" Mimi tried to not make fun of Abby, but she was amused by her surprise.

"It was, Mimi! But it wasn't too bad. I can handle this." Abby leaned back and beamed.

"Uh, huh. Well, you keep thinking that, and you should be fine." Mimi patted her arm.

Gibbs turned to Tim. "How about you, McGee? Did you call your family?"

Tim looked at Abby and nodded. "Mom's in Dallas but is flying out tomorrow. Sarah is in San Francisco in the middle of school. She won't be able to get away until the summer break. And Dad…well, he's at sea. I left a message with the Naval Command out of Norfolk."

Gibbs nodded. "Your sister's still in college? I would have thought she'd graduated by now."

Tim smiled proudly. "Teaching. She's an Assistant Professor at Stanford University. She got her Ph.D. two years ago."

Gibbs was impressed. "Wow, good for her. Still English Lit?" He asked.

"You remember that from all those years ago, Boss?" Tim asked, amazed.

"Well yeah, McGee. She's your sister after all. I take a personal interest in relatives of my team."

Tim knew the truth of that. "I called my Dad and let him know you were here. Hope that's ok." He added.

"Of'course, Gibbs! I wish he could be here to meet them when they come!" Abby scooted up a bit to get more comfortable.

"Abby, if you want to try to walk around the room a little bit, we can see how your muscles and tendons are holding up. But take it easy, I don't want any injuries." Mimi offered.

Abby's eyes opened wide. "Oh, boy! Let's give it a shot, Timmy!"

Tim helped Abby sit up on the bedside and put her slippers on. He held on to her as she stood up. "Doing ok, Abbs?" He looked at her in concern.

"Doing good so far, Timmy. Let's walk!" Tim put his arm around his wife's waist and walked slowly to the door, then turned around and walked to the window.

"Not a very interesting view." Abby joked.

"How are you feeling, Abby? Any weakness or sensation of buckling?" Mimi stood by her, watching her legs for trembling or hesitation.

"Nope, I mean I haven't walked too much in a while so I'm a little stiff, but otherwise I'm good to go." She chirped.

"Ok, then let's give the hallway a go. Not too far…" Mimi added when she saw how excited Abby was at the prospect of actually taking a decent walk. "I'll have a wheelchair standing by if we need it. I want you to tell me if you feel in the _slightest_ that your legs aren't going to hold. Do this for me, Abby."

Abby nodded solemnly, and then clapped her hands. Mimi shook her head and peered at Gibbs, who gave her a look back that said _"what can I do?"_

Tim steered Abby out into the hall. Gibbs grabbed Mimi's hand and they walked slowly behind the pair, keeping an eye on Abby. They passed another couple walking in the hallway.

"I'm having twins!" Abby announced to the laboring woman passing by her. "Aren't you excited?" The other woman smiled tightly and said "Swell!" and continued walking.

Abby looked crushed. "Well, that wasn't very neighborly." She whispered to Tim, who looked back to see Gibbs and Mimi suppressing their laughs.

"Oh…oh." Abby stopped, breathing in short little gasps.

"Abby?" Tim asked, frightened.

"Just breathe through it, Abby. In and out, that's good. Let's get you back. I want to hook you up to monitor what kind of contractions you're having."

Abby nodded, not upset at all to be going back to bed.

Slowly, carefully they made their way back. Tim tucked Abby in as Mimi went to the cart in the room to get the electrodes. She looked significantly at Gibbs.

"I'm leaving." Gibbs waved his hand. "I'll be out in the waiting room. Call me when I can come back."

"He's such a good Dad." Abby said softly. "I wonder if he'll be this calm when _you_ give birth." She smiled at Mimi.

Mimi looked startled at the question. She looked at the electrodes in her hands, and then cocked her head toward the waiting room. "God, I hope so. I know I'll be a wreck!"

"Really, Mimi? I would think with your training you would breeze through it. Plus you've already given birth."

"Twenty-two years ago. And it's a well-known fact that healthcare professionals are the worst patients, because we know too much." Mimi shrugged. "Ok, here we go. Little cold, sorry." She put the cold, gel patches on Abby's large belly, and then hooked the lines to the portable monitor.

"You can actually walk around with this on. Here, it fits in a sling." Mimi slipped the small monitor into its neoprene sleeve and slung it over her shoulder.

"Very cool, Mimi." Abby marveled at the technology.

Mimi nodded in agreement. "Let me go to the Nurses' station and make sure we are getting a good reading. Be right back." Mimi left the room.

Abby turned to Tim. "Timmy, I want to do this without pain meds, ok?"

Tim looked shocked. "I don't know, Abby. You are giving birth to two babies remember? And I think you need to think about them as well. I remember reading how the mother's pain during labor can have an adverse effect on the newborn."

Abby frowned. "Well, I don't want to do anything that will hurt our little babies. We'll see." She was conflicted now.

"Hey, let's see how things go. I hope it isn't so bad that you will beg for pain medicine, but it might get to a point that a little bit wouldn't hurt." Tim tried to be supportive, but reasonable.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Tony rocked Karina in their bedroom, as Ziva sat up in their bed breastfeeding Jack. Tony talked quietly to her as she drank from her bottle. Every once in a while, her eyes would stray toward Ziva and Jack.

"Are you watching Mommy and Jack?" He asked softly. Karina looked at him and nodded her head. "Mommy and Daddy and Jack love you very much, Karina. You are a very lucky little girl."

Karina grinned at her daddy. She loved it when he told her how much he loved her. She loved everything about her daddy, especially his voice. Her eyes started getting heavy, but she was fighting it. She wanted to stay with her daddy as long as she could.

Tony caressed her cheek with one finger as he held her bottle. He sang a Beatles song to her that he sang when she was born, "Goodnight" from the White Album. He had thought it strange at the time that they had recorded a lullaby, but now he was grateful he could share his love of the Beatles with his children.

He kissed her softly on the head, marveling at how beautiful her curls were. "Her hair is getting long, Ziva." He murmured quietly.

Ziva looked over lovingly at her husband and daughter. "I know. I will soon be able to put it up in a ponytail and braid it." She smiled.

"Aw, little Karina ponytails, with ribbons right?" Tony grinned.

"Of'course, Tony. Whatever color she wants." Ziva lifted Jack and put him over her shoulder to burp him. "He should sleep well tonight; it's been a busy day, with the dogs."

The three dogs were all presently on the foot of the bed, watching the babies being fed. Jack had been stunned to see all three animals hovering over him. He quickly got used to them, though and was soon smiling and occasionally gurgling at them.

They all discussed him among themselves, agreeing that he wasn't Karina, but he was close enough. He was unanimously adopted into their pack and made an official member.

His little legs and arms wiggled back and forth in excitement as the dogs sniffed him and licked him. They were worried about the weird noises coming from him, but decided they would keep him anyway.

Tony chuckled when Jack belched. "Man, he's got a burp there, doesn't he?" He swung Karina up to his shoulder and was rewarded with an equally impressive belch. "No mistaking them being sister and brother."

Tony kissed her head. "I wonder how Abby and Tim are doing. It's been two hours now since they called us."

Ziva cocked an eyebrow. "I was thinking of calling Gibbs, just to see how things were going. But I will be surprised if she gives birth before the morning."

"Yeah, but didn't Gibbs say she was already six centimeters dilated? That's already half-way there." Tony suggested.

Ziva got up and laid Jack into the cradle. "That is true, I had forgotten that. Maybe it will be sooner, but as much as I want to know, I hope they do not call us at three a.m."

"Yeah, I hear you on that one. I'm still pretty tired." He stood up, cradling his sleeping daughter. Ziva walked with him as he carried her into her bedroom.

He let Ziva kiss her head before he put her down in the crib. Ziva covered her with a light blanket, and caressed her curls. "I have to say, Ziva: we make damn good looking kids." Tony said, looking in awe at Karina.

Ziva giggled, and then covered her mouth when she snorted. Tony smiled wide and put his arm around her.

"I got you to snort!" He chuckled.

"Yes, you did. Thank you very much. And we _are_ blessed, but I would love our children no matter what they looked like."

Tony took her hand and they walked downstairs. He had gotten a taste for the tea Ziva always drank at night and now joined her. He found it eased his breathing and calmed his mind.

He placed her cup in front of her, and then sat beside her at the kitchen island. He flipped open his phone. "Do you want to do the honors, or should I?"

Ziva took a sip of her tea and closed her eyes in bliss. Tony kissed her, surprising her. "What was that for?" She smiled.

"Only you could make drinking hot tea sexy. I'll call." Tony hit the speed dial for Gibbs.

**Walter Reed**

"Hey, DiNozzo. How's it going with the dogs?" Gibbs asked, knowing that was not why he called.

"The kids are all asleep, tucked in their beds with happy dreams." Tony chuckled. "You sound relaxed. You must be in the waiting room."

Gibbs looked at his phone. "How can you know that?" He asked, incredulous.

"Because we would hear Abby in the background singing or crying or something." Tony laughed at Ziva as she rolled her eyes.

Gibbs smiled. "Yeah, well Mimi just hooked her up to some gizmo to monitor the contractions. We walked in the hall for a bit, and then she went back to bed. I'm waiting for her brother."

Tony nodded his head. "Oh, yeah. I forgot Kyle was here. Everyone else is out of town, right?"

Gibbs stretched his legs out. "McGee's mom is flying out from Dallas tomorrow. First grandchildren."

"Two for one special, can't beat that. So how's Abby doing, really?" Tony voice changed to one of concern.

"She's doing well, but I don't think she's prepared for what's coming. Right now this is a big party for her."

Ziva chuckled. "Well, I think it will soon no longer be fun and games."

"Yep, that's what I'm thinking. Hey gotta' go. Kyle just showed up."

"Give Abby our love and our apologies for not being there." Ziva called out.

Gibbs smiled. "I will." He turned to the excited young man who was at the desk. "Kyle?"

"Jethro! Man, am I glad to see you. How is Abby doing?" Kyle's eyes were snapping with excitement. He shook Gibbs' offered hand.

"Come on, she's down the hall." Gibbs and Kyle were buzzed in and Gibbs led him to Abby's room. They stopped outside when they heard a long row of expletives bursting from Abby's mouth.

Kyle's face lost its color and Gibbs looked around. "Ok, well it sounds like things are progressing. We'll just wait until…she's done."

Kyle nodded mutely, not sure what just happened. After about a minute, they could hear Abby chatting with Mimi, so they knocked quietly and opened the door.

"Kyle!" Abby called out. Her hair was a mess; one of her ponytails had come undone. Gibbs looked at Mimi, who gave him a look he couldn't begin to fathom. His gaze went over to Tim, who had tears in his eyes as he cradled his hand.

"So things are moving along I take it?" Gibbs asked drily.

"Oh, you heard, did you?" Mimi asked, mimicking his tone. She turned to Abby and Tim. "Abby, I strongly suggest you allow me to put in that epidural. You will be more comfortable."

Abby looked surprised. "I'm comfortable Mimi. Why wouldn't you think I wasn't?"

Mimi looked exasperated. "Ok, then Tim will be more comfortable. You almost broke his hand."

Abby looked shocked at her husband. "What? Oh, Timmy, I'm so sorry." She bit her lip. "How long do I have to decide?"

Mimi took a deep breath. "If you keep having contractions like you just had? Ten minutes ago. Abby, if you keep this up, the babies are going to get stressed."

Abby looked scared at that. "Look, let me give you some IV medication now, to take the edge off. We can hold off on the epidural for a while, and I don't want it to wear off before you are ready to give birth. Ok?"

"Ok, Mimi." Abby nodded in agreement. Mimi already had the injection ready to go. Gibbs smirked as she whipped it out and attached it to the IV tubing.

By the time she had injected it, Abby was getting ready to have another contraction. "Well, that was six minutes after the last one, Abby." Mimi said as she checked her watch. "When you are done with this contraction, I'll do a quick exam again to see how much progress you have made."

"Do we need to leave?" Kyle asked, his eyes large and worried.

"When I do the exam, yes. You can wait in the hall. Ok, remember what I said Abby, breathe through it, you're doing great."

Tim rubbed her lower back as Abby panted through the contraction. Mercifully, her language was much less X-rated than the prior contraction. She lay back exhausted, as Tim wiped her face.

"Ok, out you two. Thank you. Here we go, Abby. Ok, you are doing very well. You're dilated to eight centimeters, and 85% effaced. These babies are coming along nicely."

"How much longer?" Tim asked, excited to hear things were going well.

Mimi considered the question. "It could be several more hours, guys. Sorry. I know you are anxious to meet your family. But I think April twenty-first is your lucky day."

"Not before midnight, Mimi?" Abby sat back, disappointed. "I really wanted them to be born on their due date."

"Hey, one day off is pretty good in my book." Mimi chuckled. She opened the door and let Gibbs and Kyle back in.

"Things are going well. Several more hours. Why don't you go get some coffee?"

"Tim, go with Kyle. You need a break; no, I'll be ok." Abby grabbed his good hand. "Really, I want you refreshed when the babies come."

Tim kissed her softly. "Ok, but I will be right back. I promise. I love you, Abby McGee."

Abby kissed her husband. "I love you, Timothy McGee." She sighed happily.

Mimi straightened out her bedding after they left; plumping her pillows a bit to make her more comfortable. "Want some ice chips, Abby?" She asked.

"That would so great, Mimi. Thank you." Abby gratefully accepted the chips and munch contentedly.

**Four hours later**

Tim sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as he caught a few seconds of nap time. Much to their dismay, things slowed down and Abby was stuck at nine centimeters for the past two hours. So far, the babies were doing well, but Tim got really nervous when Mimi brought up the possibility of a cesarean.

"I want to give birth, Mimi." Abby had tears in her eyes.

Mimi looked distressed. "Abby, you are still giving birth; it's just not a vaginal delivery. We'll give you another two hours. If things remained stalled, we'll have no choice. I know this is disappointing, but I can't let you stay this way."

Tim opened his eyes when he heard Abby moan. "Abby? Are you ok?"

"No, Timmy. I want the babies to come." She rubbed her belly. "Oh, here comes a contraction, Timmy. Oh, my God, I may pop these babies out on my own after all!" Tim stood up and rubbed her back.

"That's good, Abby. Breathe through it, that's right, Babe, You're doing great!" Tim kissed her.

Mimi had put in the epidural an hour ago when they had discussed the cesarean. As a result, the contraction wasn't as painful as the previous ones had been.

Mimi came in quietly. "Hey, just saw you had a good contraction. How do you feel?"

Abby started to cry. "I'm fine, Mimi. Can't I give birth naturally?"

"Shhh…we'll see. A C-section is only done when necessary, ok?" She tried to soothe Abby, concerned she was crying.

"Oh, here's another one, Mimi!" Abby's eyes were large in surprise. Mimi watched to monitor, gauging the quality and duration of the contraction.

"Abby, I'm going to check you again. Hang on, I know it hurts, I'm sorry…" Mimi looked up smiling wide.

"Well, things have kick-started again. You are almost at ten centimeters, guys. These babies will be here soon."

Abby grabbed Tim's hand. "You mean I don't need to have the surgery, I'm going to give birth?"

Mimi laughed. "That's exactly what I mean. I'm going to have the Nurses set up the room for delivery. I'll go let Jethro and Kyle know. Be back in a flash."

Mimi rushed out to the waiting room. Kyle was asleep, but Gibbs was sitting straight up in the chair, coffee in hand. He stood up when Mimi came out.

"Well?" His voice broke. Mimi took his hand.

"Things have started back up again, Jethro. She's almost there. We're getting ready for delivery now." Gibbs face broke out into a big grin.

He kissed Mimi. "Go on. I'll wake up Kyle."

Mimi went back into Abby's room. Her bed had been switched to the delivery position. She was just completing a contraction as she walked in. "Well, now they're in a hurry, the little stinkers."

Mimi gowned and gloved and positioned herself at the foot of the bed.

"Ok, Abby, you're at ten centimeters. The next contraction I want to you bear down and push, ok?" Abby nodded excitedly, still holding on to Tim's hand.

They didn't have to wait long. "Oh, here comes one now. Ahhh….." Abby gritted her teeth and pushed as hard as she could, perspiration glistening on her forehead.

Tim wiped her face and kissed her. "You're doing great, Abby."

"Yes, you are. Ok, do the same thing with the next contraction."

Three contractions later, baby boy McGee entered the world, screaming his head off. "Oh, my God, Timmy. We're parents." Abby whispered in amazement. Tim had tears in his eyes as he cut the cord and his son was placed at Abby's breast.

"Once the placenta is out, baby girl is next." Mimi said cheerfully.

Abby watched the Nurse wipe down her son, marveling at his perfect form. He latched on and sucked for a few minutes. She moaned when he was whisked away, but was soon occupied with her second delivery.

The little girl didn't take as many contractions and soon was joining her brother in a chorus of cries. Once again, Tim cut the cord and she was placed on Abby's chest. By this time, their son had been examined and swaddled. Mimi picked him up and handed him to Tim.

The tears were coming down his cheeks with abandon. "Oh, Abby he's beautiful. She's beautiful. You're beautiful."

Fifteen minutes later, Mimi went out into the waiting room. "McGee family all present and accounted for. Come on back." Mimi eyes were glistening.

Gibbs put his arm around her waist. "You're not too tired are you?"

Mimi shook her head. "I'm ok. But I'll be glad to go to bed."

Gibbs, Mimi and Kyle entered the room. Gibbs sucked in his breath when he saw Abby lying in bed, cuddling two little newborns.

"Aw, Abbs…" He said.

"Boss, we would like to introduce you to our children: William Luca and Annabelle Kyla." Tim said proudly.

_**Yay! Hope you like the names. Had a lot of fun writing this. Please give lots of reviews, tell me what you think! Still impatiently waiting for spoilers!**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Fifteen minutes later, Mimi went out into the waiting room. "McGee family all present and accounted for. Come on back." Mimi eyes were glistening.**_

_**Gibbs put his arm around her waist. "You're not too tired are you?"**_

_**Mimi shook her head. "I'm ok. But I'll be glad to go to bed."**_

_**Gibbs, Mimi and Kyle entered the room. Gibbs sucked in his breath when he saw Abby lying in bed, cuddling two little newborns.**_

"_**Aw, Abbs…" He said.**_

"_**Boss, we would like to introduce you to our children: William Luca and Annabelle Kyla." Tim said proudly.**_

Chapter Seventeen: "Moving On"

**Walter Reed**

Tony and Ziva sat quietly in the waiting room. Well, Ziva sat quietly reading a magazine. Tony sat anxiously, his right leg bouncing up and down in nervous energy.

Suddenly, Ziva's hand shot out and landed on Tony's knee. "Stop that!" She hissed. "You will tire yourself out before Brad even sees you!"

Tony's leg stopped. "Sorry, sweetheart. I'm nervous. What if…"

"No, Tony. We talked about this. You have been doing well, and you will continue to do whatever it is that Brad needs you to do. Tony, listen to me. The goal is for you to become as well as you can, first! After that, the rest is icing on the donut."

Tony chuckled and reached out for Ziva's hand. "I don't deserve you." He said. "Thank you."

Ziva smiled softly and kissed his lips. "Anthony DiNozzo?" The receptionist called out.

Tony stood abruptly, Ziva more sedately beside him. They followed the Nurse to the examination room and sat in the chairs. Brad breezed in about two minutes later.

"Tony, Ziva! Good to see you. How are things going?" He sat down and opened Tony's very thick medical record.

"Pretty good, I think Brad." Tony began. "I don't have to stop and catch my breath just walking anymore. And I'm not coughing up the creeping crud anymore." Tony had named the phlegm and mucus in his lungs "the creeping crud". Ziva thought he was being silly, but it entertained him.

Brad chuckled at Tony's description. He looked at the couple. "Where are the kids today?"

Ziva smiled. "The wife of Dr. Mallard's assistant, Jimmy Palmer, is watching them today. She has a son seven months younger than Karina."

Brad opened his eyes wide at that. "Well, then she has her hands full today, doesn't she. Ok, Tony let me take a listen."

Brad placed his stethoscope on Tony's chest and back, evaluating his breath sounds. "Still have some wheezing, but definite improvement. How's the pulmonary rehab going?" Brad sat back down.

Tony grimaced. "The swimming will be fine when the ribs finally heal. Right now it hurts like a son of a bitch to freestyle."

Brad nodded. "You can do any stroke, Tony. The point is to work your lungs. I heard you had a problem with the balloons."

Ziva stifled a giggle. The rehab center had given Tony a packet of balloons to blow up, to help him expand his lung capacity. Tony thought it would be fun to blow them up for Karina. This went very well until one of them popped. Karina screamed and burst into tears. Her sobbing caused Jack to wail, and soon the house sounded like a mass-murder was happening.

"Yeah, it could have gone better, I guess." Tony said simply.

Ziva looked at him in shock. "Better? It was a nightmare! It took forever to calm the children down." Ziva shook her head at her husband.

Brad was laughing. "You see, Tony. The thing is you blow up the balloon and then let the air out. Then blow it up again."

"Well…I know that! Now…" Tony looked at Ziva, and then started chuckling too.

"Ok, let's do some testing, and then we can talk." Brad had one of the techs come in and they proceeded to perform several pulmonary functions tests.

By the time they were done, Tony was exhausted. Brad noted the pale circle around his mouth.

"Tony, do you ever feel like you are not getting enough oxygen?" Brad asked, checking his nail beds and sticking a pulse oximeter probe on the end of his finger. Ziva and Tony looked alarmed at that.

"Oh, God please don't tell me I need portable oxygen now." Tony sat back, deflated.

The oximeter readout held steady at ninety-three per cent. Tony look at the number, then back at Brad. "Well?" He managed to get out.

Brad frowned. He grabbed the probe and put it on Ziva's fingertip. One hundred per cent immediately lit up on the screen.

Brad took the probe and looked at them. "Ninety three isn't critical and frankly with your lung scarring, I don't know how much better we are going to get, Tony. I only get concerned when the numbers dip into the eighties. So no, I don't think we need to set you up with in home oxygen. But I want you to remember how you feel right now. If you feel dizzy or extremely short of breath or if your heart starts racing, that's your cue to come in."

Tony nodded, looking scared but relieved. Brad sat back. "Ok, Tony I am pleased. You are showing improvement. I think another two weeks at home, and then we can look at going back to work." He held up his hand when he saw Tony's grin.

"You need to understand something, Tony. You may be able to go back to work, in some capacity. But your lungs are compromised. You will never be one hundred per cent." Brad looked closely at Tony to make sure he was hearing what he was saying.

Tony looked at Ziva, his eyes clouded. "Are you saying I can't go out into the field again, Brad?"

Brad shrugged. "I'm saying you can't run down suspects, or cars for that matter. Can you go out and gather evidence and take photos? Probably. Can you determine before you go out into the field what the physical requirements will be? I don't know, Tony. I think a lot will be up to Agent Gibbs and his bosses as to what they let you do. I can only report on what you can't do."

Tony's shoulders sagged. "I guess I can live with desk work for a while, until things get better." Ziva grabbed his hand.

"Tony, things aren't going to get a whole lot better. Oh, you'll improve as your injury continued to heal, but I don't think your lung function will dramatically improve. My goal is to keep it from deteriorating, not make it normal." Brad looked seriously at Tony and Ziva, hoping he finally saw the true nature of his disability.

The look on Tony's face told him that he did. He sighed. "Tony, you are not 'disabled' in the strictest sense of the word, but you will have some restrictions. Your body will tell you what they are. I'm not going to tell you what you can or cannot do, even though I have a pretty good idea and so do you. Listen to your body, and let it guide you."

Tony looked at Ziva. "This isn't fair to you. You didn't sign up for this."

Ziva looked shocked. "Sign up for what? Living my life with a man who has a dangerous profession, who could get killed any day he goes out the door, oh and by the way, I happen to be in the same profession?" Ziva was incredulous. "Do not be silly, Tony. We both sighed up for the same thing. This does not change anything." She clasped his hand tightly.

Brad stood up, not wanting to intrude on their private moment. "Continue with the rehab, Tony. I'll see you back in two weeks."

Tony nodded and stood up with Ziva. She hugged him. "Let's go see some babies, ok?" Tony smiled wide at that, totally forgetting the joyous occasion while wrapped up in his own drama.

They made their way to the main hospital and took the elevator to the maternity ward. After inquiring at the desk, they were directed to Abby's room.

They stood outside her door, listening to see if they were interrupting anything. They could hear Abby and Tim talking, but that was all. "Poke your head in, Ziva." Tony suggested. "I don't want to walk in while Abby is in the middle of breastfeeding, but it will be ok if you do."

Ziva smiled softly and knocked. "Come in!" Abby called out. Ziva opened the door and looked in.

"Is everyone decent?" She asked mischievously.

"Ziva! You're here! Come in!" Abby would have clapped if her hands weren't full of babies.

"I was serious about you being decent. Tony is with me." Ziva chuckled.

Abby blushed. "Timmy, can you just close my top here? Thanks." Abby had just fed the babies and was sitting quite comfortably with her husband.

Ziva nodded, and then pulled Tony in. He was greeted by a scene he never would have imagined two years ago: Abby sitting up in a hospital bed with some type of circular pillow around her middle. On each side of the pillow was a sleeping newborn, all bundled and swaddled, with Tim sitting on the bed, grinning down at his children.

"Oh, Abby, they are just adorable." Ziva whispered. "Which one is Annabelle?" Ziva quickly asked.

Abby's dimples showed. "She's the one with the dark hair."

"And dimples, just like her mother." Tim said proudly.

"Then this would be young Master William." Tony said, looking down at the blonde baby. He looked at Annabelle. "They look nothing alike." He was confused.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Anthony DiNozzo!" Abby teased him. "Belle clearly takes after me and Will takes after Timmy. Really, Tony!"

Tony looked even more confused, and then realized that Abby thought he was suggesting the babies had two different fathers. He blushed and stammered a bit, apologizing.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Tony. Sarah and I look nothing alike. I favor my dad and Sarah looks like mom. Happens in the best of families." Tim smiled easily, clearly not concerned by his children's features.

Tony chuckled at that and continued his scrutiny of the little newborns.

"How big are they, Abby?" Ziva had her finger in the clutch of Belle.

Abby looked adoringly at her babies. "Will was born first and he was six pounds three ounces and nineteen inches. Belle was a close second at six pounds even and eighteen and three-quarters inches."

"Belle and Will: is that what you are going to call them?" Tony asked.

Abby looked at Tim. "We had decided on Will pretty early on in the pregnancy, and of'course we wanted to use Abby's brothers if possible." Tim explained.

"I had considered Catherine, but then I thought the kids would be teased for being 'Will' and 'Kate' so we dropped that name. I wanted a southern name and we came up with Annabelle."

"Well, I think it is beautiful; both of their names." Ziva declared. "Are they feeding well, and pooping?"

Tony grimaced. How many times in his life was he going to hear about poopy diapers?

While Ziva and Abby compared notes, Tony pulled Tim aside. "You have a great looking family, Tim. Congratulations." Tony shook his hand.

Tim was beaming. "Thanks, Tony. How are things going for you? You look pretty good."

Tony's smile faded somewhat. "Just came from seeing Brad. He's pleased with my progress, but these damn lungs are going to do me in, Tim. Going to have to make some changes, I guess."

Tim's eyes widened at that. "What do you mean, Tony? I mean, you can still work with us, right?"

"Sure, kid. I'll be there." Tony slapped his arm. He felt bad raining on his parade with his own problems. They turned their attention back to Ziva and Abby, who were laughing about Lily.

At Tony's quizzical look, Ziva explained. "Apparently, Lily is quite upset that the babies chose to be born the one weekend she decided to go out of town. She was sending texts back and forth all night to Mimi."

"Bet Mimi loved that." Tony deadpanned. "Where was she?"

"She went to Boston with Sean. He's going to MIT in the fall you know. I think he was trying to get her to love the idea." Abby grinned.

"And did it work, or is it too early to say?" Tony asked, interested in this new piece of information.

"Haven't heard." Abby admitted. "But I know before the trip, Lily wasn't happy he was going. Not sure how seeing it will change how she feels."

"Unless she decides to go with him." Tony suggested.

Abby and Ziva looked shocked at that. "No! She has to stay here and work in the lab." Abby was adamant.

Tim looked at Tony, cocking an eyebrow. Tony decided to change the subject since Abby was not happy talking about Lily leaving.

"So, when do you get to go home?" He asked, looking back at Tim.

"Mimi's coming in this afternoon. I was pretty zonked after squeezing these two out this morning, so I don't remember if she said. But I think probably tomorrow. Unless she kicks me out tonight." Abby decided she would answer the question.

Tim looked scared at that. "I hope not. I'd rather bring you and the kids home in the daylight rather than when it's dark." He could imagine all sorts of obstacle they could trip over while carrying their babies into the house.

Tony and Ziva smiled at that, trying to imagine Tim and Abby juggling two newborns.

Ziva stood up. "We need to go. Breena is watching Karina and Jack. I do not want to wear out their welcome." She kissed Abby on the cheek, and then gave Tim a kiss as well.

Tony kissed Abby and touched Annabelle's hand. "They're beautiful, Abbs. You did a great job."

Abby beamed and looked at Tim. "Thanks, Tony. We think we'll keep them."

**May 2014**

Mimi lay uncomfortably on the examination table, clasping Gibbs' hand tightly. "You ok there?" Gibbs kissed her hand.

"I will be as soon as this is over with." Mimi grumbled. She had performed enough amniocenteses that she knew what to expect. While it wasn't extremely painful, it wasn't the most pleasant of procedures either.

Finally at sixteen weeks, they were able to schedule the test. Mimi was finally getting comfortable with the changes in her body, and now proudly showed off her small baby bump.

Gibbs was thrilled when he started seeing the signs of their baby growing. He "talked" to the baby every night when they went to bed, regaling him or her about their soon to be relatives. He had Mimi in tears from laughing so hard at his tales of the "Continuing Adventures of Team Gibbs".

Dr. Farley Trent rapped lightly on the door then came in. "Hi Mimi, Jethro. Are you ready to do this?" He asked, his eyes twinkling.

"As ready as I'll ever be, Farley." Mimi smiled tightly.

"Ok, here we go; the numbing medicine first." Farley produced a large syringe with 1 % Lidocaine and injected small amounts in several areas of a small section of Mimi's abdomen.

Mimi gritted her teeth and clenched Gibbs' hand. After the first injections, the remaining injections didn't hurt as much and she began to relax.

The Nurse assisting Dr. Trent brought over the ultrasound machine and began moving the wand over Mimi's small bump.

"There, that's a good window." Farley pointed to the screen. Mimi and Gibbs looked at the image of their baby, moving within the amniotic sac.

Gibbs felt tears prick his eyes, overwhelmed by the tiny person he was seeing. _"Mimi and I made you."_ He said to himself in disbelief.

The baby was completely recognizable as a human form, much to Gibbs' relief. "Look, the baby is sucking its thumb!" Mimi cried out.

Sure enough, Gibbs looked closer and could make out the little fist over the baby's mouth. He was brought back to the present when he saw Farley bring out the hugest syringe and needle he had ever seen.

"What in the hell are you going to do with that?" Gibbs asked, his voice breaking.

Farley chuckled. "I know, it's scary looking. Do you need to leave?"

Gibbs looked at the needle again, and then looked at Mimi. "It's up to you." She said softly. "I'll be fine."

"I'm staying." Gibbs said firmly. There was no way in hell he was leaving his wife alone while some guy stuck a big-ass needle in her. He just maybe wouldn't watch…

"Ok, some pressure…" Farley guided the needle in, using the ultrasound as a guide.

Mimi hissed and sucked in her breath. "Take it easy, Mimi. Try to breathe normally. I know it hurts." Farley pushed the needle in a little bit farther.

"Ok, we're there. I'm going to aspirate some of the amniotic fluid now, Mimi. You may feel some cramping." He proceeded to withdraw slowly about twenty cubic centimeters of the life-sustaining liquid.

Gibbs was surprised at how much he took out, and was concerned about the cramping. Mimi had told him the risks of the procedure, but stressed that it was important to do this despite the inherent risks.

"That's it." Farley put some pressure on the injections site. "Stay quiet the rest of the day, you know the drill. Call me if you have any problems."

"How long before we get the results back?" Gibbs asked, watching Mimi's face for any signs of distress.

"Two to three weeks is standard. I'll give you a call as soon as they come in." Farley assured them. "Here, Angela will help you clean to goop off." He smiled again and left the room.

"You know what to do, Mimi, you tell enough patients yourself. Don't overdo it and you'll be fine." Angela commented as she wiped the gel off of Mimi's tummy.

"Oh, you can be sure she will take it easy." Gibbs responded.

Mimi looked at Gibbs in amusement. "Are you babysitting me today? I thought you would go back to work."

Gibbs shook his head. "They are fine without me. You are my only case today." He kissed her softly, and put his hand on her back.

**NCIS**

Tony sat at his desk, slightly frustrated. They had played musical desks all week. First Tony took back his desk from Stan, and then Dorneget got displaced when Ziva came back. They both ended up at the smaller cubicles at the end of the squad room.

Tim had the one partition taken down to his right so Stan wouldn't be closed off from the rest of the team. He didn't think he wouldn't be there to be at his own desk, so for the time being, Stan was in his spot.

Tony felt bad for Dorneget, being a bit out of the camp fire as it were. He automatically assumed the Senior Agent position upon his return, although he was not cleared for the field.

Right now, it was Gibbs, Stan and Dorneget who went out on calls. He and Ziva stayed behind, working on reports and gathering Intel. They did all the scut work while the others gathered the evidence in the field.

"If I have to call one more BOLO in I am going to take this paperclip…" Tony exclaimed in exasperation.

"Now you know how I felt being on desk work with Karina and Jack. Relax, Tony. It only gets worse." Ziva teased her husband.

"Thanks, my lovely Ninja. By the way, did I tell you that you look ready to pop out of that blouse?" He grinned.

Ziva looked down at her breasts, engorged with milk. "Oh my God, I better go feed Jack." She glared at Tony for laughing at her.

She ran down to the daycare center, knocking on the door lightly. "Mommy!" Karina cried out, toddling toward her.

"Hi, we were just going to give you a call. Jack is hungry." The daycare worker looked up.

"That is very good, because, as his father gleefully pointed out to me, I am ready to pop." Ziva sat behind the screen with Jack and felt instant relief when he latched on.

He looked up at Ziva, his little fist resting on her breast. "Were you hungry, little one? Mommy is sorry she did not come sooner. Sometimes she is so distracted by your handsome father that she forgets what she is doing." She caressed his soft cheek, and felt his fine hair.

"Is that so?" Tony asked, peeking around the curtain. "I wish I had recorded that!" He was holding Karina and grinning from ear to ear.

Ziva rolled her eyes and looked at Jack. "What did I tell you? One big distraction."

"Ah, but don't forget 'handsome'. Hey Jack! How's my big boy today?" Tony touched Jack's hand.

Jack looked over at his daddy and grinned, milk dripping out around the corners of his mouth.

"Tony, now you are distracting _him_! He needs to finish eating. Please go play with your daughter. Take her upstairs and let her file your reports or something."

Tony chuckled and gave Karina a kiss. "Field trip!" He announced. He went back up into the bullpen, finding Stan and Dorneget had returned from the witness interviews they had been doing.

"There's that little girl!" Stan smiled widely. He had only met Karina the one time when Ziva returned to work and brought her in to day care. Karina hid her head in Tony's shoulder, but then peaked out shyly.

"She's a beauty, Tony." Stan sat down at Tim's desk. Tony nodded his thanks.

"Ziva and I think so, here you go Punkin." Tony put her down so she could toddle around. She immediately went to Gibbs' desk. She looked around it several times before she finally decided he wasn't there.

"Grandpa?" She looked up at her daddy, troubled.

"Grandpa is with Grandma today, Sweetie. Maybe we'll see them later." Tony sat at his desk and pulled out a cookie. Karina clapped her hands and stumbled over to him.

"Don't tell Mommy, ok? It will be our secret." Tony whispered in her ear, making her giggle. He looked at Stan. "How old is your daughter, Stan?"

Stan beamed. "Seven months. She's the main reason Melinda is stateside."

"You should bring her in here while you're working with us, Stan. The daycare here is great."

Stan shook his head, never imagining he and DiNozzo would be discussing daycare someday. "She's got an in-home baby sitter. Melinda wanted her to stay at home."

"I don't know Agent Burley. They say you should socialize babies at an early age, so they learn how to share and play well with others." Ned spoke up.

Tony and Stan's heads both whipped in his direction. "Oh,_ they_ do, do they? Since when are you the baby expert, Probie?" Tony asked.

"No, DiNozzo, he has a point. I actually wanted Lizzie to be in daycare with other children. I was an only child and kept from other children until I went to elementary school. It was a harsh transition."

Tony looked at Stan, then back at Ned. "What about you, Dorneget?"

Dorneget looked uncomfortable. "I was home-schooled. I was only allowed to socialize with other home-schooled kids, but I didn't meet any until the fourth grade."

Tony thought about his own experiences growing up. Before his mother died, he had what he considered a normal childhood albeit a privileged one. It was only after she died and he got shipped off to boarding school did his sphere of friends become more cloistered.

Karina toddled over to Ned and handed him her messy cookie remains. "Thank you, Karina!" Ned was delighted whenever she paid any attention to him. She placed the sodden mass in his hand and then wiped her hands in exaggeration to get the mess off of her.

Stan and Tony stifled their laughs at Dorneget holding Karina's "gift" and his rapt expression. Ziva chose that moment to return and looked in alarm at Karina's messy hands and the unidentifiable blob in Ned's hand.

"What did you give her, Tony?" Ziva eyes were slits. Tony and Stan went back to their computers, typing at lightning speed, trying to avoid a mother's wrath. She eyed them both, glancing back and forth.

Sighing heavily, she sat down at her desk and instructed Karina to come to her. She quickly complied and tried to climb up into her lap. Ziva cleaned her hands with a baby wipe and kissed her.

"I spoke to Gibbs. Mimi did well, but needs to take it easy the rest of the day. I told him we would bring dinner, if that is ok with you." Ziva looked over at Tony, who stopped mid-keystroke.

"Sounds good to me. Karina was upset Grandpa wasn't up here so I told her we could go see them."

Ziva nodded, and lifted Karina up. "Do you want to go see Grandpa and Grandma tonight?" Karina's head bobbed up and down as she clapped her hands in excitement.

_**Sorry so long for the updates. I increased my hours at work and am really tired. I do another increase in a week and a half, so things will be tough for a while. Thanks for hanging in there and for the awesome reviews! I'm so thrilled my other story "Promonitions" seems to have hit the mark regarding Tony and Ziva taking off on their own to search for Bodnar. **_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Sighing heavily, she sat down at her desk and instructed Karina to come to her. She quickly complied and tried to climb up into her lap. Ziva cleaned her hands with a baby wipe and kissed her.**_

"_**I spoke to Gibbs. Mimi did well, but needs to take it easy the rest of the day. I told him we would bring dinner, if that is ok with you." Ziva looked over at Tony, who stopped mid-keystroke. **_

"_**Sounds good to me. Karina was upset Grandpa wasn't up here so I told her we could go see them."**_

_**Ziva nodded, and lifted Karina up. "Do you want to go see Grandpa and Grandma tonight?" Karina's head bobbed up and down as she clapped her hands in excitement.**_

Chapter Eighteen: "News"

Tony pulled up into the driveway at Gibbs' and Mimi's home. He turned and looked at Karina. "We're here…" He sang out.

Karina giggled and clapped in excitement. Tony shot Ziva a grin, who just rolled her eyes. "Tony, I will help you get the children inside, and then I will go home to get the casserole." Ziva was unstrapping Jack as she spoke. Tony looked up.

"I can go get the food if you like." He offered.

Ziva smiled. "Do you know where it is?" She teased and looked at him, laughing at his expression. "I did not think so. It is just around the block, I can manage." Just then, Gibbs came out to help.

"Hey, Princess. How was your day?" Gibbs cuddled Karina, and smothered her with kisses.

"Hey, Boss! How's Mimi doing?" Tony slung the diaper bag over his shoulder.

Gibbs nodded. "She's relaxing in the recliner. She actually hasn't minded being waited on hand and foot all day, but that's probably because she knows it's only temporary. You need help with that, Ziva?" Gibbs pointed to the bag she was balancing while holding Jack.

"Yes, thank you Gibbs. It is the Pack-n-Play. We will need to put Jack down after I feed him." She handed over the bag. They all walked into the house together, Gibbs leading the way.

"Gramma!" Karina cried out with glee.

"Hi Cutie! How's my big girl doing?" Gibbs obligingly placed the baby into Mimi's lap. Karina kissed her and laid her head on her shoulder. She suddenly got a funny look on her face and tried to look at Mimi's stomach.

Gibbs chuckled. "Well, there you go. Karina's found the baby."

Tony reddened and hoped his daughter would not embarrass him by trying to pull up Mimi's top. He relaxed when Mimi just laughed and patted her small bump.

"Yes, Karina. That's a baby, just like you were." Karina's eye got large and she looked at Ziva for confirmation. Everyone laughed at that.

"Ok, I will be right back." Ziva kissed Tony and trotted out to the car.

Tony settled down on the sofa and put Jack down. He was still sleeping in his car seat, sucking contentedly on his thumb. Tony rummaged in the diaper bag and brought out a small bottle of juice for Karina.

"Here you go, Punkin." Tony kissed his daughter and handed her the bottle. She took it immediately and began sucking in earnest. Mimi ran her fingers through her curls. "I think her hair is getting long enough to pull up, Tony." She murmured thoughtfully.

Tony grinned. "Ziva said the same thing. I think she already has tons of bows and ties and whatever it is girls use to fix up their hair. I am pretty clueless about that stuff, but I can brush hair with the best of them." Tony smiled wide.

"Oh, you'll learn how to braid and put up ponytails, DiNozzo, you just wait." Gibbs chuckled, sitting down to look at Jack. "Jack here looks like he's getting a few curls himself."

Tony nodded. "Karina had curls from day one, so I don't think Jack's hair will be wild like Ziva's, but who knows?" Tony shrugged.

He looked up when he heard the car returning. He went to the door to open it since Ziva had her hands full. "Thank you, Tony." Ziva went straight to the kitchen and put the dish down. She turned on the oven and put the casserole inside. Just as she straightened up, Jack started to fuss.

"Perfect timing, Mommy." Mimi smiled. Ziva chuckled and went over to her son.

"Ooh…what a face you have. Let's see what we have, yes?" Ziva picked up the baby and pulled out a diaper pad. She quickly changed his diaper and settled him down. Draping a shawl over her breast, she undid her bra and started to nurse him.

"How are you feeling, Mimi? Any cramps?" Ziva looked over at Mimi, noting how comfortable she was looking in her chair.

Mimi wagged her hand back and forth. "Just a few, not even as bad as having a period. And no spotting, so we are good. Thank you, Jethro. She took the ice tea he handed her.

Tony grimaced at the mention of cramps and spotting. "So when do you get the results?" He asked Mimi.

"Two weeks, three weeks max." She replied, looking at Gibbs. "It will be the longest two weeks of my life." Gibbs looked pained at that, but gave her a smile of encouragement. Mimi looked at Tony.

"How are you doing Tony, being back at work?"

Tony shrugged. "Still stuck behind a desk at the moment, but Brad said I can go start going out next week, you know, doing simple stuff like interviewing and photos, unless they require me to contort my body into some unnatural state or climb a mountain…" Ziva snorted at the "contort my body into some unnatural state" comment.

"He does not want you climbing in and out of crashed cars and boxes and underground tunnels and such. It is not an unreasonable request, Tony." Ziva shook her head at her over-imaginative husband.

"Here, burp your son while I go check on dinner." Ziva handed Jack to Tony. Gibbs got up and went after Ziva.

"I'll help. You shouldn't have to wait on us. Mimi needs to take it easy, not me." Gibbs smiled. He put out the plates and silverware. He turned when he saw another set of headlights pull up outside. "Lily's here, Mimi." He called out.

Mimi craned her head to look out the window. "I told her she didn't have to come!" She sighed at her oldest child's actions.

"Li-Li!" Karina squealed when she came through the door.

"Karina! Oh my gosh! I thought that was your car out there. Hi, Mom!" Lily gave Mimi a kiss, quickly looking over her to make sure she was ok to her own satisfaction. Karina had her arms out, waving for Lily to pick her up.

"Come here you little Stinker-doodle." Lily scooped her into her arms and swung her about.

Karina squealed in delight, her little dress billowing out as she flew through the air.

"Ok, that's enough of that, Lily. We don't want her to puke." Gibbs took her and put her in the high chair they had. He looked at the lone chair, thinking they would need to get two more soon. Oops! Make that three, no four, wait…

"How many babies do we have on the team now?" Gibbs looked at Ziva, confused. Ziva chuckled, knowing he was thinking how they would manage when everyone was here.

"Well, there are Karina and Jack; Jamie; Belle and Will. That's five. If Stan and his family join us, that's six with Lizzie. And of'course Baby Gibbs." Ziva counted on her fingers and recited the new additions.

"We have our own Baby Planet!" Tony announced, totally in awe of the thought of all of those babies being in the same place at the same time.

Everyone laughed at that. "Well, it does call for some creative thinking in the logistics of eating, doesn't it? When's the next get-together?" Gibbs wanted this all taken care of before his own child was added to the brood.

Tony scratched his head. "Well, assuming no one just has a cook out or party, the next official get-together is Jamie's first birthday July 4th."

Gibbs considered that. One and a half months. Plenty of time to get extra high chairs. Of'course only Karina, Jamie and Lizzie were old enough to sit in them. He chuckled to himself, thinking about such things. A year ago this time, the team had one baby, Karina.

Gibbs made Mimi stay in the recliner and he made up a dinner tray for her. Lily then took her plate and sat next to her on the sofa.

Gibbs looked at them lovingly. Lily had been really busy with school and work lately and Mimi had missed her terribly. He was glad to give them this time now, even if it wasn't entirely private.

Tony and Ziva sat at the table with Gibbs, enjoying their meal. Karina picked up her pieces of vegetables that were on her plate, enjoying feeding herself.

Ziva watched her daughter feeding herself, smiling softly. "I called Abby earlier." She changed the subject.

Gibbs looked up. "How are they doing? I talked to Tim yesterday. He didn't make a whole lot of sense." Gibbs chuckled knowingly.

Tony grinned. "A little sleep deprived, huh? We were frazzled with just Karina. I can't imagine having two demanding infants at the same time." He looked at Ziva. "We don't have twins in the family, right?"

Ziva snorted. "You already asked me that, Tony, and no…I do not think so. But yes, it sounded, I am not sure of the right word. Like a war zone perhaps?"

Tony and Gibbs laughed at that. "What did Abby say?" Gibbs asked.

"Nothing much of substance, but there was a lot of crying in the background. She sounded exhausted. I feel bad; I wish there was something I could do to help them." Ziva sighed.

Tony looked amused. "Well, it's not like you can take one of the babies and feed them yourself, Ziva. And Tim is there to give one a bottle so Abby doesn't have to feed them both herself." Tony shrugged.

"NO!" Karina piped up.

"No?" Gibbs turned to Karina, surprised. "Are you saying Uncle Tim can't feed one of the babies, Karina?"

Karina let out a stream of words that clearly made sense to her. The three adults all gave her their rapt attention as she gave her take on the situation. She finished by picking up some vegetables and throwing them on the floor.

They all looked at each other, stunned. Gibbs cocked his head and smiled. "Well, I guess she told us!" Ziva and Tony covered their mouths to stifle their laughs. They did not want Karina to think they were laughing at her.

**Two Weeks Later**

Mimi and Gibbs sat anxiously in Farley's office, waiting for the results of the amnio. Gibbs held Mimi's hand, as much for himself as for her. He was more anxious than she was, because he really had no idea what could be revealed as "bad" as he imagined it. He thought Mimi would be hysterical, with her medical background. She knew worst case scenario.

Surprisingly, she was tense, but not overwrought. They both looked up as Farley entered the office.

"Hi! Hope you weren't waiting long." He shook their hands and took his seat. He flipped open the chart in front of him.

"Well, we got your results." He looked up at them and smiled. "Everything looks good, no abnormalities."

Mimi's hand flew up to her mouth, as she choked back a sob. Gibbs immediately put his arm around her. He should have known she was putting up a brave front.

Farley waited for Mimi to compose herself. He smiled softly when she looked up at him. "Do you want to know the sex?" He asked quietly.

Mimi turned her teary eyes toward Gibbs. She asked the question silently. Gibbs cocked his head, giving her the option.

Mimi nodded. Farley smiled wide. "It's a boy!"

Mimi and Gibbs broke out into wide grins. "A boy?" Mimi asked through her tears.

"That's what I said, Mimi. You're going to have a son."

Gibbs enveloped Mimi in a bone-crushing hug, kissing her temple. "We're going to have a son, Mimi." He murmured into her hair.

Farley stood up. "I'll give you some privacy." He smiled again and left the room.

As soon as the door closed, Mimi burst into tears. "Oh, Jethro! I was so scared that something would be wrong. I can't believe this, everything is perfect. And a boy! Lily will be so happy. She was so worried that if we had a girl, she would be replaced."

Gibbs looked stunned at that. "Did she tell you that? That if we had a girl we wouldn't want her anymore?"

Mimi leaned back and touched his face. "No, of'course not. But I know how siblings feel, when a new child comes. I was born later in life, remember? My sisters were extremely jealous when I came. I didn't know this at the time, but they told me later that they felt like they were being pushed aside for the new baby. And with me being a girl, they couldn't help but feel redundant. No, she didn't need to say anything. And maybe she's never intellectualized how she really feels should it be a girl, but…"

"Ok, I get it. But it's not a girl, it's a boy. And just so we're straight: He will not be named Leroy Jethro, Jr." Gibbs looked at her sternly.

Mimi cocked one of her eyebrows. "Are you sure? Because it's a damn fine name." She kissed him softly on the lips.

Gibbs smiled through the kiss. "Already belongs to two people, that's enough. But now that we know, we can start serious discussion about a name."

"Do you have some ideas?" Mimi asked in surprise?

"Yeah, well, maybe I do." He tugged her toward the door. "Come on, let's go tell the team."

**NCIS**

Tony, Ziva, Stan and Ned were sitting in a campfire, talking about the current case. Ziva was still not cleared for the field, but Tony had been allowed to return in a limited capacity. On the days that Gibbs was out of the office, he assumed the Team Leader role.

Tony had been concerned that Stan would take issue with that, just as Tim had with the Senior Field Agent role. But Stan was cool with everything. He was a very laid-back person, and very comfortable in his current role. He was happy to help out in any way he could.

They all looked up when the elevator dinged. Tony stood when he saw Gibbs and Mimi come out, his posture tense. He relaxed visibly when he saw the wide grins on their faces.

"Good news I take it?" He called out, grinning himself.

"The best." Mimi answered, taking Ziva's hug. Tony shook Gibbs' hand and slapped his arm. Everyone followed suit, the relief palpable within the team.

Gibbs looked at Mimi and smiled. "We know the sex." He said like it was no big deal.

Tony's eyes went wide and he turned to Ziva. "Well, don't just stand there, spill! You wouldn't have brought it up if you weren't going to tell us."

Gibbs squeezed her hand. "It's a boy." He said with pride.

Ziva clapped and hugged Mimi again, then hugged Gibbs.

"Alright!" Dorneget exclaimed, and then looked embarrassed by his outburst. Gibbs looked at him sideways, but Mimi just chuckled.

"Boss, that's just great. Mimi, congratulations!" Stan offered his hand again and gave Mimi a hug. "Melanie will be thrilled to hear the news."

"Hey, we gotta' call Tim and Abbs." Tony pulled out his cell.

"Nope." Gibbs put his hand on Tony's. "We'll stop by on the way home. We're going down to see Lily now." He looked up to see Vance come down the stairs.

"Heard the commotion down here, thought I should check it out." Vance said smiling.

He looked at Mimi and Gibbs, noting their happy, relaxed demeanor. Gibbs nodded to Vance.

"Everything is fine. And it's a boy." He said softly.

Vance smiled knowingly. "Having a son is one of the greatest joys of my life; along with having a daughter." He added to everyone's laughter. He turned to Tony.

"Agent DiNozzo, where are we on our case?" Tony immediately assumed control, talking with authority and ease.

Vance and Gibbs caught each other's eye, nodding in tandem. "Have fun." Gibbs said as he steered Mimi to the back elevator.

"Later, Boss! Take care, Gibbs! Will do, Boss!" The team all responded.

**NCIS Lab**

Lily looked up as Gibbs and Mimi entered the lab. "Mom! Daddy! How did it go?" She flew into her mother's arms.

Mimi hugged her daughter, gently rubbing her back in soothing circles. "Everything is fine, Sweetie. The baby's fine." Mimi had tears in her eyes.

Lily burst into tears and hugged Mimi again. Then she launched herself into Gibbs' arms. He hugged her tightly and kissed her, trying to keep from crying himself. "We have something to tell you." He said softly.

Lily pulled back and looked at her parents with worry. "Oh, no Lily. Nothing bad. You're going to have a brother." Mimi smiled through her tears.

"A brother? It's a boy? I mean, he's a boy? I mean, I'm having a brother?" Lily stumbled over this news.

"I take it you like the idea? Because we can't exchange him for a girl if that's what you would prefer." Gibbs said in amusement.

"Oh, yes!" Lily clapped her hands in excitement, reminding them so much of Abby that they both grinned. "A baby boy! I love baby boys!"

Gibbs laughed at Lily's joy. "So do I. And I love my daughter." He kissed her temple; reminding her just how precious she was to him.

Her tears sprang forth with new vigor. "I would have been ok if the baby had turned out to be a girl…but I really like that he's a He." Lily admitted.

Mimi pushed back a strand of her long blonde hair lovingly. "I know, Lily. We know you would have been ok. But I am glad we are having a son. I never want you to feel that you are being replaced. You're not, Lily. Never. You are my first born." Mimi kissed her on the cheek.

"And you are my _first_ second chance. Don't ever forget that, Lily Elizabeth Gibbs." Gibbs kissed her on the other cheek.

Lily wiped her nose with her sleeve, looking so much like a little girl that Mimi and Gibbs looked at each other in amusement.

"Tonight, the four of us, family dinner. Our place. Unless you have other plans?" Gibbs raised one of his eyebrows, knowing that she and Sean had been monopolizing each other's free time.

Lily knew what he meant, and she nodded. "I will be there, as soon as I am done here. What should I bring? I would say Champagne, but that's not fair to Mom?" She looked between the two of them, who were looking at each other.

"I think I can force myself to suffer through a sip or two." Mimi replied, her lips twitching with humor. "After all, Mom drank her way through all of her pregnancies." She covered her mouth and looked shocked.

"Shit oh dear. That didn't come out right. I meant they didn't realize back then the dangers of alcohol and pregnancy. She didn't drink all the time, she just drank, you know, socially." She looked crestfallen, thinking she had made her mother out to be a lush.

Gibbs laughed. "Hey, we all survived our traumatic environments back in the day." He checked his watch. "We better go; we promised Abby and McGee we would stop by." He kissed Lily again. "We'll see you later, Sweetie."

Lily hugged them both again and watched them leave. In a pure Abby move, she suddenly performed a cartwheel. Looking around in alarm in case someone had seen her unprofessional move, she relaxed and began humming as she finished up her work.

**Tim and Abby's Home- North Arlington**

Abby was just finishing dressing up the babies, when Tim came in from outside. He had mowed the lawn, the first of the season and was pretty sweaty. He came over to look at his children.

Belle and Will were now just a few days short of being one month old. He was amazed at how much they had changed in their brief life. Abby had dressed them in matching outfits for when Gibbs and Mimi stopped by, although it was difficult to find matching boy and girl outfits.

He was amazed at the things Abby found for their children. He decided she must do a lot of online shopping, googling what she wanted to find. This explained the numerous items of clothing the babies had with skulls on them…

Belle was wearing a bright blue dress with black circles, and Will was wearing the same, but in a jumper. Abby even had a little stretchy headband on Belle's head, even though her dark hair didn't require the adornment.

"They look really cute, Abbs. You're amazing." He kissed her on the lips.

"Eww…you are stinky, Timmy! Quick, go take a shower before they get here. Thank you!" She smiled to take the sting out of her comment.

Tim just laughed. "Ok, I feel stinky, too. Be back in a flash."

"What do you think, Jethro?" Abby asked the dog, proudly showing off the babies. Jethro sniffed tentatively, not taking any chances. These little things tended to make a lot of noise, and right now they were quiet. He much preferred them that way. He looked up at Abby and grinned.

"That's what I thought. Good Boy!" Abby beamed at the dog.

Tim had been downstairs about ten minutes when Gibbs and Mimi came knocking at the back door. Jethro ran to them, his tail wagging furiously.

"Hey, Boy! How's it going? Go play with Bailey." Jethro ran out into the yard where Bailey was waiting for him. Soon they were chasing each other through the two back yards.

Mimi tiptoed up to the babies, sleeping in their bouncy seats. "They look just precious, Abby." Mimi whispered. Gibbs came up beside her, his hand on her back.

He scrutinized the little ones, chuckling at their matching outfits. He especially liked the unnecessary headband on Belle's little head.

"Well?" Abby asked, breathless. She had a death hold on Tim's hand, reminding him of when she had been in labor.

Mimi smiled. "Everything is fine. The baby is fine. And it's a boy."

"Yay!" Abby burst out, and then covered her mouth when the babies started crying. "Sh…oot! I wanted them to sleep longer. Oh, well." She sighed.

Mimi just chuckled and bent down and picked up Will. "How's Grandma's big boy? You are getting big, you know that? And you are so cute, yes you are!" Mimi talked gently to Will, smiling as his eyes were glued to her face as she spoke.

Gibbs had picked up Belle, and was talking to her as well. Her eyes crossed comically as he brought her close to his face. He looked at Abby. "Do you ever bottle feed them?"

Abby grinned and went to get a bottle to heat up. "Oh, yeah. Sometimes it's too much to breast feed them at the same time. So while I'm breast feeding one, Timmy will bottle feed the other. Tim keeps a chart so we don't bottle feed one more than the other."

"Of'course you do." Gibbs looked at Mimi, who was chuckling.

Once the bottles were warmed up, Abby handed them over. She smiled as she watched two of the most special people in her life feed her children. Tim put his arm around Abby, also smiling at the scene in front of them.

"Well, now you can seriously start thinking of names." Tim suggested.

"Yep." Gibbs answered.

"Any possibility of…"

"Nope." Gibbs looked up. Mimi laughed.

"That discussion has already been put to bed, so to speak. No Juniors. Sounds like Tony, doesn't it?" She shook her head.

"Hey, how is Tony doing back in the field? Hope he isn't taking any chances." Tim said thoughtfully.

"If he does, he'll have me to answer to." Gibbs growled good-naturedly. "He's doing ok, keeping up with his rehab, and being smart, so far, about his restrictions."

Tim brightened at that. "So he could come back without restrictions soon?" He looked from Gibbs to Mimi, since Mimi had the medical background.

Mimi looked at Gibbs, as she placed Will over her shoulder to burp him.

Gibbs was still finishing up with Belle. He shrugged. "Just have to wait and see, McGee. Can't see the future."

McGee looked sad that Gibbs didn't automatically agree with his assessment of Tony's future. "Well, I'll be back in two weeks, so I can help him out."

Gibbs' smiled at that, at Tim's willingness and desire to make sure Tony remained a member of the team. He was damn lucky to have such a close knit team who looked out for each other.

_**Thanks for being so patient waiting for updates! I love reviews so please let me know if you are enjoying the way the story is progressing. Getting really antsy about the finale, so pretty absorbed by that right now. Really need to finish "Promonitions" before too much more gets out. Cheers!**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Tim brightened at that. "So he could come back without restrictions soon?" He looked from Gibbs to Mimi, since Mimi had the medical background.**_

_**Mimi looked at Gibbs, as she placed Will over her shoulder to burp him.**_

_**Gibbs was still finishing up with Belle. He shrugged. "Just have to wait and see, McGee. Can't see the future."**_

_**McGee looked sad that Gibbs didn't automatically agree with his assessment of Tony's future. "Well, I'll be back in two weeks, so I can help him out." **_

_**Gibbs' smiled at that, at Tim's willingness and desire to make sure Tony remained a member of the team. He was damn lucky to have such a close knit team who looked out for each other.**_

Chapter Nineteen: "Changes in the Air"

June was harsh: hot, stormy and a spate of murders that left the team drained. Tim came back to work when the babies were six weeks old. Abby elected to stay out longer, having the luxury of Lily being available to work in the lab, along with Ellie Black.

Ellie had been gone for most of May, as she had a conference in Hawaii. She returned with a golden glow and Ducky was quick to take notice. Lily hid her smile as Ducky kept finding reasons to come to the lab, even bringing specimens that Jimmy would normally bring.

She delighted in regaling Mimi and Gibbs with the continuing saga. Her latest report was that they had dinner plans. Gibbs smiled to himself. Ducky had a healthy appreciation for beautiful women, and Ellie Black was certainly attractive. He was happy that Ducky had found someone to spend time with and hoped she didn't turn out to be psychotic like Mary was. He shook his head, and mentally gave himself a head slap for thinking such bad thoughts about Ellie.

He knew her as well as he knew anyone he was acquainted with for over fifteen years. Which really wasn't saying much, as Gibbs was a closed book and didn't try to peer into anyone else's pages. Just one more thing to keep his eye on. He wondered briefly if Ellie was of child-bearing age…

"_Nah…"_ He said to himself. That would just be too twisted, even for his team.

Another one he kept his eye on was Tony. He was very aware at all times how his Senior Field Agent was managing physically in the field. There was one scary moment when he forgot what he was supposed to be doing, or in this case was he was not supposed to be doing, and chased down a subject. They resulting bronchospasm and call to 9-1-1 scared the crap out of the team.

If anything good came from that, it truly made Tony realize just how limited he was. He was quiet the rest of the week, sobered by his close call. Gibbs finally had to take him aside and give him a pep talk. He and Ziva kept a close watch on him, to make sure he didn't get too depressed. Gibbs had a long talk with Mimi about the situation, and also discussed things with Vance.

Having finally come to his decision, Gibbs felt like a great weight was lifted from him. He knew his plan wouldn't make everyone happy, at first. But his mind was made up, and there was no turning back. Unless of'course, Tony didn't agree. Then he was up the creek without a paddle.

Gibbs and Mimi had Tony, Ziva and the kids over for dinner the third weekend in June. They would all be getting together over the holiday for Jamie's birthday, but Gibbs wanted to spend some alone time with his Agents, to tell them what he had decided.

Tony was back in good form, laughing with Mimi and Ziva and joking with Gibbs about his latest woodworking project in the basement. "Tony, why don't you come downstairs with me and let me show you what hard work and determination can do." Gibbs chuckled.

Mimi knew that was Gibbs' cue that he was going to talk to Tony. Mimi moved to the living room with Ziva and the kids, looking at baby clothes catalogs. Jack was lying on a blanket on the floor, now able to hold up his head and look around. Tony joked that he looked like he was doing "mini pushups". Karina sat on the blanket with him, trying to get him interested in her baby. Bailey and Jethro were snoring in the kitchen.

Gibbs poured two fingers and handed Tony a glass, then poured one for himself. "To family." Gibbs clinked his glass against Tony's.

"To family." Tony echoed and took a sip. He ran his hand across the wood grain of what Tony was sure was yet another cradle.

"Looks good, Boss." Tony admired the workmanship.

Gibbs cocked his head. "Yeah, I have a lot more to make, so I need to get the lead out." He took a small sip.

"You've had a rough month, DiNozzo." He said quietly.

Tony's hand stopped as he was bringing the glass to his lips. "Well, only when I was stupid. I just need to remember to not do those things, Boss. That's all." Tony felt goose bumps and was suddenly reminded of being called to the Principal's office.

"If you _can_ remember, DiNozzo, that's the problem." Gibbs sighed.

Tony frowned and his heart started pounding in his chest. He willed himself to keep his breathing even and smooth. "Are you benching me, Boss?" Tony couldn't keep the hurt out of his voice.

Gibbs looked at Tony, knowing how he was feeling. "In a manner of speaking, Tony. I'm giving you the team."

Tony opened his mouth. "Dammit, Boss! I can do this! I know I was stupid last week, but that won't happen again, I promise! I…wait, what did you say?"

Gibbs smiled tiredly. "I'm retiring Tony. I'm going to stay home with my son, and be the Dad I never was for Kelly. I was never there for her, not out of lack of desire but because of circumstances. I'm in a position to change the circumstances now and I'm going to. The team is yours, if you want it."

Tony eyed Gibbs, taking a small sip of the bourbon. "What does Vance say?" He asked.

"What do _you_ say, Tony? Vance is on board; otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation. I'm leaving the beginning of September. You can start taking over in July; I'll work with the team. You can get used to being in charge again. And as Team Leader you have the option of sending your team out into the field, instead of going yourself."

Tony's eyes widened at that confession. "You really _are_ looking out for me, aren't you, Boss?"

Gibbs looked surprised. "Did you ever doubt that, DiNozzo?

Tony smiled, feeling like he had just won the lottery. "Never, Boss. Do I get to keep everyone?"

Gibbs chuckled, knowing Tony was mostly referring to Ziva. The last time Gibbs "retired", they were not married. While there was no rule against Agents being married, a husband or wife being the other's superior was another kettle of fish.

"I think you and Ziva need to decide that between you. I know she has worked under you before, but your relationship was different. Talk to Ziva, talk to Vance. Things will work out." Gibbs shrugged, clearly not bothered by the situation.

Tony considered this new scenario and had to admit he really liked it. It's not like last time, when Gibbs went to Mexico: he would still be around the block. Half the time, he and Ziva were out and about they didn't interact that much with Gibbs anyway.

Then he frowned, wondering who would be partnered with his wife. Gibbs chuckled, knowing exactly what Tony was thinking. Tony looked embarrassed, and then held out his hands. "Hey, do you blame me? She's been my partner since day one. I'm going to miss that."

"I know, Tony. And Ziva will miss it too. You will still have chances to partner up. Come on; let's go break the news to Karina."

Tony laughed at that. "When are you announcing this, Gibbs?" Tony asked, thinking of how the others were going to react: good and bad.

"Monday." He answered. "The sooner the better for everyone. No one will have a problem with this, Tony, so don't worry about it."

"Well, I think everyone will be unhappy you're retiring, Boss." Tony said quietly.

Gibbs stopped halfway up the stairs. Yeah, he knew Abby would be hysterical, but they shared a yard for God's sake! He shook his head. "They'll get over it." He said simply.

Mimi and Ziva looked up as they came up the stairs. She immediately sense something had happened and stood up. Tony came over to her and took her hand.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

"Nothing's wrong, Ziver. I just offered Tony the Team Leader position, that's all." Gibbs sat down and held out his arms for Karina to come to him.

Ziva smiled brightly and looked expectantly at Tony. Then her eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute. What team?" She asked Gibbs.

"Mine." He said casually, as if he was telling her the time. He tickled Karina, making her squeal with laughter.

Ziva gaped at Gibbs and then turned to her husband. "But Gibbs, what will you be doing?" Ziva was confused.

"Mostly changing diapers and feeding the baby. Oh, and making things out of wood." He smiled softly.

"You are retiring?" Ziva was in shock. The last time Gibbs had left had been a terrible time. Although in retrospect the summer had been particularly nice for her and Tony; until Jenny had put him on the undercover assignment…she dismissed that memory from her thoughts.

"What do you think, Ziva? Can you stand for your husband to be your boss?" Tony grinned devilishly.

That stopped Ziva. She looked at Gibbs, concerned. "Is that allowed? Will I be able to stay on the team?" She hit Tony's arm. "Did you not think of that?"

"It was his first concern, Ziva. Let's not get all worked up until we know what's what. We'll talk to Vance on Monday. If the arrangements aren't agreeable to both of you, then…we'll figure something else out. But nothing is going to change the fact that I am retiring." Gibbs bounced Karina on his knee as he spoke, smiling at his granddaughter.

Ziva looked at Tony, chagrined she was only thinking how this might inconvenience her. It didn't take a map for her to realize this was Gibbs way of keeping Tony on the team. She had been terrified when he collapsed in the field that he would be pulled. Tony lived for what he did. Well, that and his family. But he was first and foremost a cop. Field work, interviews, and interrogations: that was meat and gravy to him.

She hugged him tightly, letting him know that she was on board with whatever was decided. Gibbs nodded, pleased that Ziva understood the possible consequences. There was no way he was going to bench Tony, or let him be placed on medical disability as long as he could avoid it. He hoped when the time came, Tony would be able to make that decision for himself.

**Monday Morning-NCIS**

Tony sat nervously next to Ziva in Director Vance's office. Gibbs elected to stand, his arms folded in front of him.

"So, Agents. I take it Gibbs has filled you in on his plan to retire, and for you DiNozzo to take charge of the team?" Vance spoke in a friendly, accessible tone, wanting Tony and Ziva to know that he was on board with this arrangement.

"Yes, Director. Gibbs told us last night." Tony twisted his neck, his tie feeling a little tight.

"And?" Vance continued.

"Well, we have some questions. About Ziva's role." Tony leaned forward.

Vance glanced at Gibbs. He had told him that would be DiNozzo's first concern. Gibbs just looked at Vance, not saying anything.

"You are concerned that Agent DiNozzo will not be able to remain on your team as you are married, is that a correct statement?" Vance wanted everything on the table, so that there were no questions later.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other. "That would be correct, Director Vance." Tony answered honestly.

Vance steepled his fingers. "I have to admit, Agents. This exact scenario has not come up before, so we have no precedent. We have married Agents but they are not on the same teams. Not because one was transferred off after the marriage, but because they were in different areas to begin with. Agent McGee and Mrs. McGee are a similar case. Since Mrs. McGee works in Forensics, she is not a part of Gibbs' team. She assists you and works with you, but you can see the difference."

Vance shifted in his seat. "Tell me how you would like this to play out and why." He suggested.

Ziva glanced at Gibbs. "We discussed this last night when we got home. I have no problem taking orders from Tony. We have worked in this respect in the past, even though I know we were not married at the time. We were however, seeing each other casually."

Gibbs and Vance both looked surprised at that. Gibbs grinned; thinking since he was no longer around, his rule #12 went out the window. Once he came back, they backed off from each other. He felt some remorse at that, knowing what they have now, and he may have prevented them from having it sooner.

"So you are saying that being married should not be a deterrent to you being subordinate to your husband." Vance clarified.

Ziva hitched her breath at that. Tony grinned at Gibbs, knowing she wouldn't like that word.

Vance smiled knowingly. "Well, before we make a decision, let me run something by you."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other, slightly worried.

"Have you given any thought of getting out of the field? Now that you have children, I would imagine you may have some concerns with both of you being involved in dangerous activities. You could get hit by a car, for instance." Vance began.

Gibbs chuckled at that, Tony looked embarrassed and Ziva hid her smile at the comment.

Ziva then looked confused. "Do you mean to no longer be a Field Agent? What would I do?" She looked at Gibbs, wondering if he knew about his.

"Intelligence Analysis." Vance replied.

Tony grimaced. "An Intelligence Analyst? That's a _demotion_ for Ziva. I have to admit I wouldn't mind seeing her in less dangerous situations but I don't want her to be tucked away in a corner to do it."

"It's not a demotion if she's running the desk." Vance smiled slyly.

Tony's eyes bugged out at that. "Where's Jansen going?" He asked.

"European Theater. He wanted to get some international flavor." Vance turned to Ziva. "You already have the international experience, Agent DiNozzo. You have been a Control Officer for Mossad, and you have dealt with our sister Agencies abroad. It will allow you to maintain a pulse on the threat levels to our nation, work with Intelligence communities around the world, and all from the safety of an office here in DC." Vance looked at Tony.

"She would still be in the Bullpen, and would necessarily interact with your team when the situation warranted it. I think it's a win-win situation: You get to run your team and no one will accuse you of nepotism; You…" He turned to Ziva. "You get a promotion as well, remove yourself from harm and still utilize your intelligence gathering and analysis skills; and we get two positions filled without having to go outside our own backyard." Vance leaned back in his chair.

"Having said all that; DiNozzo taking over for Gibbs is not contingent on you accepting this offer. If you want to stay on the team, I will allow it. Just be prepared in case there are any repercussions."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other, their thoughts racing.

Ziva considered what had just been presented. She thought she could handle being in Intelligence Analysis or some other intelligence gathering area, as long as it was not the night-shift. Motherhood had reduced her desire to kick ass and carry a gun. Maybe that _was_ her option? She would do anything to promote and support her husband, even if that meant leaving a position she loved almost as much as Tony and their children.

Tony still had McGee and Dorneget could remain on the team. She would only mind if Tony hired some sweet young thing to be her replacement.

"When do you need an answer?" Ziva asked quietly, taking Tony's hand.

"The end of the week." He looked at Gibbs. "We can hold off on telling your team you are leaving until then if you wish."

Gibbs shrugged. Now that he had made the decision, he felt funny about keeping it from everyone. "Up to you, Director." He said diplomatically.

"Do you mind waiting?" Tony asked. "If we decide Ziva _is_ leaving the team, I don't want anyone to think it was because of complaints about me being her Boss, since that news will have already been out."

Vance nodded. "Good idea. We'll put it on hold until Friday. Until then, Agents." They all stood and shook hands.

"Take the rest of the day off; give this a lot of thought." Gibbs told Tony and Ziva. They were stunned he gave them a pass for the day, but weren't about to argue.

Tim had been watching anxiously since the three Agents had gone upstairs to Vance's office. He didn't know what it was about but he had a good idea. He was sick to his stomach: they couldn't really be benching Tony, could they? Why else would Ziva be there, other than to help soften the blow? Tim thought quietly about the ramifications of Tony not being on the team, and he found it made him extremely unhappy. He was about to call Abby, when they all returned to the bullpen.

His melancholy mood changed to confusion as he picked up on their happy moods. "Where are you two going?" He asked, as he realized they were picking up their gear.

"We've been given a hall pass, Probie." Tony grinned widely. Ziva shook her head at her husband.

"We are taking the rest of the day off." She told Tim. "Do not worry." She said quickly when she saw the concern shadow his face. "Everything is fine."

Tim considered that. "Would you tell me if it wasn't?" He asked boldly.

Tony laughed at that. "He's got you there, Ziva. No, probably not, but I concur with Ziva. Everything is fine. See you later, McGee." Holding hands the two went downstairs to get their children.

Gibbs had been quiet throughout the exchange. After they left, Tim stared at him. Finally, Gibbs spoke up.

"What, McGee?" He asked, still looking at his computer.

McGee swallowed nervously. "Nothing, Boss."

"You got that right." Gibbs said. He felt bad that he couldn't let McGee in on the news, but Tony was right: they needed to make sure that no one thought Ziva was being reassigned because of Tony's promotion.

Dorneget had been wide eyed the whole time, not saying anything. He was still too new to understand the dynamics of this close-knit team, but he knew enough that something was going down, and it was something big.

_**Wow…I am so blown away by "Berlin" that I don't want to continue my other story. It went in such a different direction. Anyway, thanks for the support. And thank you to my new readers; I really appreciate you taking the time to read my little stories.**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Gibbs had been quiet throughout the exchange. After they left, Tim stared at him. Finally, Gibbs spoke up.**_

"_**What, McGee?" He asked, still looking at his computer.**_

_**McGee swallowed nervously. "Nothing, Boss."**_

"_**You got that right." Gibbs said. He felt bad that he couldn't let McGee in on the news, but Tony was right: they needed to make sure that no one thought Ziva was being reassigned because of Tony's promotion.**_

_**Dorneget had been wide eyed the whole time, not saying anything. He was still too new to understand the dynamics of this close-knit team, but he knew enough that something was going down, and it was something big.**_

Chapter Twenty: "Decisions Made and Decisions Revealed"

Tony and Ziva took the children to the playground that was close by the house to celebrate their early day off from work. Tony pushed a squealing Karina as she sat in the baby-swing. Ziva sat on another swing and gently rocked back and forth as she held Jack.

"What do you think, Tony?" Ziva shielded her eyes against the afternoon sun, trying to gage his expression as he answered.

Tony shrugged. "It's your call, Honey. I'd love to have you on my team, but I _would_ be more worried about you going out in the field without me being there." He smiled as he gave Karina another little push.

He looked thoughtfully at Ziva. "Would you be satisfied no longer being in the field? I think it could be interesting, and the added bonus of being in charge will add some new dynamics." He held up the chains on Karina's swing and dangled it in front of him, watching her clap as she swayed back and forth.

"Whatever you decide, I will support, Ziva. I just want you to be happy."

Ziva smiled at her husband, and kissed Jack. She looked out over the playground, at the other parents playing with their children. She wondered what they did for a living. She doubted both parents had dangerous jobs; a job which could at any point cause injury or even death, leaving their children orphaned.

Ziva shook her head. In just two years, her entire perspective of her life had done a 360 degree turnabout. If someone had told her then that she would be married with two children and contemplating a job that did not require her to carry a gun, she would have accused them of lying or being crazy, or both.

But now, she felt oddly at peace. She was happy in her personal life; madly in love with Tony and her children. She couldn't imagine not being able to see them, or be with them. It was then that she realized she had already made her decision.

"I will take the job, Tony." She suddenly announced, standing Jack up on her lap. "I think it is the best option for us, and makes the most sense for the team. You need a fresh start and to not be worried about me. I need to feel useful and challenged."

Tony nodded, secretly pleased that Ziva agreed with the job offer. He would never insist that she get out of the field; and in his mind anyway, away from the danger. But he would be lying if he wasn't relieved she would be staying at NCIS from now on. Now, if he could just keep himself from getting banged up, they would be in great shape.

"Yay, Mommy's made a decision." Tony sang to Karina.

"Yay!" Karina echoed and clapped, excited because her daddy was.

"Let's take these monsters home and get them some dinner and a bath. Then Mommy and Daddy can cuddle and smooch and plan the future, isn't that right Punkin?" Tony had pulled Karina out of the swing and was planting big kisses on her belly.

Ziva rolled her eyes at Tony's remarks, but she still smiled. Tony was doing much better with his breathing. His color was good and he didn't get as fatigued as he had been. The necessary limitations set on him had extended to their love making. They were both anxious to have things return to normal, and if what Tony had just said was any indication, things may go back to normal tonight.

**NCIS**

Tony and Ziva got in a bit earlier than normal, wanting to speak to Gibbs as soon as they could. Now that he was a father too, McGee was no longer the early bird who catches the worm. Most days he dragged in, haggard and sleep-deprived.

Tony and Ziva gave him much needed encouragement. Hell, they had a relative newborn as well, but two eight week old babies would scare the living daylights out of Tony, if he was being honest with himself.

So instead of coming up with names like "McPooped" or giving Tim a hard time, Tony had been as supportive as he could be, given his own demanding home life.

Therefore, they were shocked and a little dismayed to find McGee already at work when they arrived. "So much for discretion." Tony murmured out of the side of his mouth to Ziva as they exited the elevator.

"McGee, you are here early. Did you sleep at all last night?" Ziva asked, somewhat concerned.

Tim smiled. "The first night the kids slept almost five hours. It was like heaven. We actually got some quality sleep." His big grin lessened somewhat.

"Why are you two here so early? You're never here this early." Tim got up and walked over to them.

"I know something's going on, so spill. What was the big deal yesterday with you and Gibbs and Vance?"

Tony was taken aback by Tim's directness and felt bad he really couldn't answer the question. It wasn't his place to let McGee, and by extension Abby, know that Gibbs was retiring.

Ziva looked at Tony and hesitated. "I wanted to talk to Vance about some changes in my work hours, McGee. That is all." She hedged.

McGee looked surprised, and frankly relieved, as he thought the meeting had been about benching Tony. "Oh! Are you thinking about going part-time?" He knew now from experience that juggling work and small babies was no picnic. Maybe Ziva just wanted to spend more time at home?

McGee considered the question, thinking how he felt about Ziva possibly leaving the team. He really enjoyed working with her and was very possessive of their small ranks. But intellectually he knew he would still see her. So as much as he disliked having the dynamics of their team changed, and possibly welcoming a stranger into their dysfunctional little family; he would be happy if that was what she and Tony decided.

"Uh, well, no. I don't think so." Ziva looked to Tony for help. Thankfully, Gibbs showed up just she was about to say something else.

Gibbs eyed the situation and knew something had been decided. "Tony, with me. Ziva, Director Vance needs to see you." Tony and Ziva gratefully put their gear down and went off in different directions.

Ziva waited patiently in Vance's outer office, as Gibbs and Tony showed up less than five minutes later having taken the scenic route to throw McGee off.

"Thanks, Boss. McGee was digging, and I don't want to tell him." Tony explained.

Gibbs nodded. "You've made a decision." He looked at Ziva.

She took a deep breath and nodded. Suddenly feeling emotional, she tucked herself into his arms for comfort.

Gibbs rubbed her back and kissed her hair. "You'll be great, Ziver. And you won't have to go out in the field anymore. It's a good decision." Gibbs looked at Tony, who was smiling broadly.

Vance opened up his door, surprised by his early morning guests. "Agents, you came back quicker than I expected. I hope the answer is a good one."

"It is, Director. For us, anyway." Ziva said quietly. "I have decided to accept your offer and leave the team." As soon as she said the words she felt an overwhelming wave of sadness.

"It's an end of an era." Tony said, feeling the same sorrow. Gibbs was leaving, Ziva was leaving the team: Tony would be in charge with at least one, possibly two new Agents. The time of Team Gibbs was coming to a close.

"Let's go tell McGee, and put him out of his misery." Gibbs said with amusement.

Vance nodded. "I'll have him come up here, so you can have some privacy. You shouldn't be telling him in the bullpen." Vance asked Cynthia to call McGee and have him come up.

McGee almost ran to the stairs. First Ziva, and now him. What did Vance want? What was going on? He didn't really think Vance would send them out on a mission, or God forbid, undercover; not with brand new babies at home. But that was part of the job. And you did as you were told.

His worry turned to anxious concern when he saw that Gibbs, Tony and Ziva were all in the office. He added confusion to the mix when Vance excused himself to leave them all alone.

McGee sat down, not sure his legs would support him. Gibbs cocked his head and looked at him. "Aw geez, McGee." He went and got him a glass of water. "You look like you're going to faint."

Tim took the water and sipped at it, trying to calm his nerves. "I knew something was going on." He was almost accusatory.

"You're right, Tim. And I'm sorry we've had to keep you in the dark for a while. This concerned me, Tony and Ziva immediately. Once a decision was made, then it would be time to tell you and the rest of the team."

"A decision? What decision?" Tim was back to his worry that Tony was being sent packing.

Gibbs sat down next to McGee. "Tim, I've decided to retire. I'll be leaving NCIS the end of August."

Tim stared at Gibbs, stunned. "What? No, Boss. You're too young to retire. I mean, who's going to lead the team?"

Gibbs smiled at Tim, thinking it was nice of him to say he was too young but try telling his body that.

"DiNozzo will be Team Leader, McGee."

Tim opened his mouth in surprise and then realized it made perfect sense. Tony could remain on the team, but not have to do as much rigorous field work.

He smiled and looked at Tony. "That's great, Tony!"

Tony had been watching McGee, trying to gauge his reaction to this news. He wasn't sure how he would take it if McGee seemed really unhappy at him being his new boss.

He relaxed visibly when Tim spoke, grateful as ever to have such a Senior Field Agent. He spoke up.

"You will, of'course, be my Senior Field Agent McGee. We can keep Dorneget on if you like. And Stan can stay on until or if we decide to hire a fourth person."

Tim was nodding his agreement as Tony spelled out his plans but frowned when Tony mentioned needing a fourth. "Where will Ziva be?" He looked at her, thinking he now knew what she was talking about earlier.

"I will be taking over as head of the Intelligence Analysis, McGee. I need to get out of the field and have a somewhat more steady work schedule." Ziva put her hand on his.

Tim sat back in his chair, totally blown away by all of this news. "Wow" was all he could come up with at the moment.

Gibbs stood up. "I need to go tell Duck and Palmer. DiNozzo, you come with me. Ziva you can tell who you want, when you want." He turned back to McGee.

"I can come over tonight and tell Abby myself, if you would like me too, Tim. Besides, Mimi and I haven't seen those babies in a week." Gibbs waited expectantly for his response.

Tim thought about it. "We'd love for you to come over and I think it would probably be a good idea for you to tell Abby, Boss. She's going to be upset, just so you know."

"Aw, Hell McGee, I know that, but we share a backyard. It's not like she's never going to see me again." Gibbs grumbled good-naturedly.

**Tim and Abby's Home-North Arlington**

Abby was getting exasperated with her husband. He was clearly hiding something, but he was so much better at keeping secrets than she was. Even after reminding him that she could dispose of his body without leaving any forensic evidence failed to break him, she gave up.

She knew if it was really bad, like if someone was sick or hurt, he wouldn't keep it from her. She tried to think of scenarios that would qualify as a secret but Tim would not be compelled to tell her. She turned and looked at him sharply.

_He wasn't going undercover, was he?_ She would give Vance and Gibbs a piece of her mind if they thought they were sending her babies' father into some dangerous mission!

Tim felt terrible, keeping this important news from Abby. She knew something was going on; she _always_ knew! He would just have to wait for Gibbs and Mimi to come by for their visit. He saw her expression change, first to fear then anger and wondered what that was about, but didn't have time to consider it any further when Will screamed out.

"Hey there little guy. Your Daddy's here. What's the problem, huh? Got a stinky diaper? Well, that's no fun. Let's see what we can do about that, ok?" Tim's voice was soft and animated as he spoke to his son. Will's eyes tracked on his face as he spoke to him, mesmerized.

Abby couldn't stay upset with him when she saw him with the kids. Her heart melted; full of love for this man who two years ago would have fainted rather than feed a baby or change a diaper.

They went upstairs and put Belle and Will down in their cradle. They held hands as they watched their babies snuggled together as if they were still in the womb, sleeping contentedly now that their stomachs were full.

Quietly, they crept downstairs and went outside to sit, enjoying the last warmth of the day. Tim could make Gibbs and Mimi making their way over through their yard and tensed slightly.

"Knock, knock." Mimi said, as they came through the gate.

Abby smiled brightly, surprised and delighted by her unexpected guests. "Hi! How are you?" Abby took Mimi's hands and held them out, looking at her blossoming tummy.

Mimi laughed at Abby and gave her a hug. "I am doing just fine, Abby. Thanks for asking. How are you, Tim?" Mimi turned as Tim came up to her.

"I'm good." He answered honestly. He just wasn't sure if Abby was going to be "good".

"Can I get you something to drink? Some iced tea?" Abby gestured toward the kitchen.

"No, Abbs. We're fine. Sit down; I want to talk to you." Gibbs sat in the closest chair after getting Mimi settled.

Abby sat down with a thud, her heart racing. She _knew_ something was wrong. She shot daggers at Tim for keeping whatever horrible thing Gibbs was about to say from her.

Tim quailed a bit at Abby's look, but took her hand instead of backing away.

That really scared Abby, and she looked at Gibbs with tears in her eyes. "Gibbs?" She asked in a small voice.

Gibbs' heart broke, seeing her so worried and upset, but there was nothing he could do about it except to get her to understand and accept the decision.

He had considered many ways he could give her his news and finally decided to just say it; rip off the Band-Aid, get it over with in one short, quick motion rather than belabor the point before he finally got around to what he truly had to say.

"I've decided to retire, Abby." Blunt, simple and to the point.

And shocking. Abby sucked in her breath. "No, Gibbs. I won't let you."

Gibbs cocked his head and smiled. "You won't let me?"

Abby gripped Tim's hand tighter, causing him to wince. "No, I won't!" She was adamant.

Gibbs sighed and got up and walked over to her. He knelt beside her chair, despite the protestations of his aging knees.

"Abby, I _am_ retiring. The paper work is in. I leave the end of August. But I am only leaving NCIS. I am not leaving you or Tim or those beautiful grandchildren of mine. You got that?"

Abby's eyes filled with tears. She launched herself at him, crushing him in a hug. "Oh, Gibbs…" She cried.

"I know, Abby. I know." Gibbs kissed her head and rubbed her back. "It'll be fine, believe me." He finally straightened up.

Abby put her hands in her face, as Tim rubbed her back. "I'm sorry, Abby. It was Gibbs' news to share."

Abby looked at her husband, sorry she had given him such a hard time. She kissed him quickly to let him know she wasn't mad at him anymore. She sat up and composed herself, taking a big sip of her iced tea.

"Is Tony going to be Team Leader?" She asked.

Gibbs nodded. "And Tim will be Senior Field Agent."

Abby smiled brightly at Tim's promotion. "And Ziva is ok with all of this?"

Gibbs looked confused. "Which part do you think Ziva wouldn't be ok with? Tony being in charge or Tim being Senior Field Agent?"

"Tony being in charge, of'course. They are married after all. How hinky is that, having your husband give you orders and send you out into dangerous situations."

The light bulb suddenly went off in Tim's head, now understanding an additional layer to Ziva's reasoning for leaving the team. Not that he thought she wouldn't like Tony being her Boss, but maybe they felt if wouldn't be a good idea, a conflict of interest.

Tim looked expectantly at Gibbs, wondering if he was going to share Ziva's news as well, or let them tell Abby.

_**Sorry this is so much shorter than the other chapters, but I wanted to get an update out. "Revenge" fell far below expectations, and I am not happy with how they dealt with the car accident and the killing of Bodnar. Anyway, only two episodes left, so who knows what carnage will be left behind?**_


	21. Chapter 21

**So sorry for the delay in updating. Between the finale and finally being fulltime at work, I am just wiped. Now I can focus on this story. This chapter is pure fluff, to get the angst out of my brain…**

_**Gibbs looked confused. "Which part do you think Ziva wouldn't be ok with? Tony being in charge or Tim being Senior Field Agent?"**_

"_**Tony being in charge, of'course. They are married after all. How hinky is that, having your husband give you orders and send you out into dangerous situations."**_

_**The light bulb suddenly went off in Tim's head, now understanding an additional layer to Ziva's reasoning for leaving the team. Not that he thought she wouldn't like Tony being her Boss, but maybe they felt if wouldn't be a good idea, a conflict of interest. **_

_**Tim looked expectantly at Gibbs, wondering if he was going to share Ziva's news as well, or let them tell Abby.**_

Chapter Twenty-One: Summer Fun

As it was, Tim didn't have long to find out. The very next night, Tony and Ziva came by with the kids to visit.

Abby hugged Karina and gave Jack a big kiss. She then eyed Tony knowingly. "So, Big Boss Man."

Tony grinned, knowing that Abby was on board. Sure, she would miss Gibbs not being at work, but this was totally different than the last time. As long as she knew Gibbs would be at her beck and call, she could adapt to anything.

Abby cut right to the chase. "So how do you feel about this Ziva? Tony being your boss and all?" Tony and Ziva exchanged looks.

"Actually Abby, I am fine with it and we told Gibbs and Vance that I would stay on the team. But sometimes Fate shows up and gives you another choice."

Abby had been smiling until Ziva uttered those words. "What do you mean 'Fate'? You aren't thinking about leaving are you?" She looked at Tim, realizing he had to know what was going on.

"Well, I am not leaving NCIS if that is what you mean, but yes; I will no longer be on the team. In fact, I will no longer be in the field."

Abby's eyes had gotten wider at each word. "Not in the field? Where will you be?" She looked at Tony, then back to Tim in confusion.

"I will be running the Analyst Desk, Abby. It is a promotion for me, it keeps me in the loop and out of harms way." Ziva smiled.

Abby's mouthed formed a big "O" as Ziva explained her new role. She whipped her head to Tim. "You knew about this?"

Tim declined to be intimidated by his hyperactive wife. "Yes, Abby. I did, but it was not my place to tell you. Besides, I only found out about it yesterday, so…"

Abby glared at him, and then threw her arms around Ziva. "I am so proud of you! Both of you." She included Tony in her hug. Karina squealed and clapped her hands.

"You too, baby girl!" Abby scooped her up. "And you, Jack Attack!" She tickled Jack's chin.

Tony winced. "Abbs, we're really glad you're ok with all of this, but Ix-Nay on the "Ack Attack" Jay."

Abby pouted. "I thought it was so cool." She looked at Ziva for support.

Ziva shook her head. "Sorry, Abby. I'm with Tony on this one."

Abby sighed and looked at Jack. "Sorry, Jack. I tried." She looked up. "It was his idea, you know."

Tony and Ziva burst out laughing. "Abby, you are so twisted. Where are my niece and nephew? I want to teach them how to do all sorts of disgusting things." Tony retorted.

Ziva was already heading upstairs. "No, no, no. Please don't wake them up. I promise I won't say Jack Attack again."

Ziva stopped mid-step and turned around. "Ok." She smiled brightly. "But this weekend, you and those adorable, trainable little babies are coming over, to spend some quality time with Uncle Tony and Aunt Ziva."

"Ziva David DiNozzo! You are a serious turn on right now!" Tony was grinning from ear to ear.

"Turn on!" Karina yelled out.

The adults all looked at her. Abby covered her mouth. "I think you need to worry about teaching your own children "disgusting" things, Tony. She's at the age that she's going to repeat everything she hears. You have to watch everything you say." Abby was triumphant.

Tony looked mortified, and Ziva was just as appalled. They looked at each other in horror, and then slowly smiled. "Welcome to Toddler-hood." Ziva said softly.

**July 4****th****, 2014**

"Who wants a hot dog?" Jimmy yelled out. He was balancing a platter of hot dogs fresh off the grill. He looked expectantly at the assemblage at the home he shared with Breena and Jamie, in celebration of Jamie's first birthday.

He looked around, taking in a deep, happy breath. Everyone he cared about was here. Ducky was sitting on the glider on their deck, holding court with Breena's mother, Gibbs, Mimi and Vance. Kayla and Jared were talking excitedly about the fire-works that would come later.

Jimmy went inside and had to smile at the scene. Belle, Will and Jack were all in baby swings. Karina was standing in front of them while Jamie and Lizzie were on their knees. Abby had put some music on and Karina was swinging her hips and waving her hands around. The babies in the swings were all squealing in laughter.

Tony, Tim and Stan were all videoing the scene, tears of laughter streaming down their faces. Jimmy remembered Gibbs' comment as he and Mimi arrived, seeing the living room crawling with infants. "Did someone throw up babies or something?"

Jimmy had been shocked when he heard the news about Gibbs, Tony and Ziva, but he recognized that life went on. He and Tony worked well together, so he didn't anticipate any problems for the future. But it made him wonder about Ducky and _his_ future at NCIS.

It has been two years since his heart attack, and if Jimmy was being honest with himself, Ducky was in better shape than ever. But how long could he keep going at full throttle? Ducky had been turning over more and more tasks to Jimmy, and Jimmy had been gratified by the confidence Ducky had placed in him. Intellectually, he knew that someday Ducky would retire. But Jimmy wasn't ready for it yet.

Jamie was dazzled by the candle on the cake. He clapped and tried to sing with everyone, laughing in excitement. Breena helped him blow out the candle and smothered him in kisses. The present opening went smoothly, since Mimi and Gibbs thought to bring a gift for Karina and Lizzie as well, so they wouldn't feel left out.

"These kids have got it made." Stan quipped to his wife Melinda. "Not only do they get presents on their own birthday, but on everyone else's birthday too! I lived at the wrong time, or place rather." He chuckled. Lizzie's first birthday was September 8th, so in two more months, another family get-together would be in the works. And then, Mimi and Gibbs son would be born.

Stan sat back and smiled. Life had come full circle for him, having worked for Gibbs all those years ago and now being back in the fold. Tony had talked to him about staying on with the team, in whatever capacity he wanted, and Stan had accepted. With Dorneget also on board and of'course Tim as Senior Field Agent, Team DiNozzo was in place.

It would be the first time in twelve years that a female Agent had not been on the MCRT, but Tony wasn't concerned that someone would cry foul. His present goal was to keep the momentum going and to minimize any downtime for the team.

Tony looked over at Ziva, sitting on the sofa discreetly breastfeeding Jack, while Abby was doing the same with Will. They were chatting away like it was the most normal thing in the world, and the amazing thing is that it _was_. From ashes and ruin; to an embarrassment of riches. Tony truly believed he was the luckiest and wealthiest man in the world, maybe even the universe if you believed that there was life elsewhere. He had the love of the most amazing woman who was his best friend, two beautiful children, a job he loved and wonderful friends. Yes, life just didn't get any better than this.

He looked at his daughter, who he was trying to help feed at the moment but was too distracted and excited to get more than a few bites in. She was happy sitting with Jamie and Lizzie at their little table that Gibbs had made for them, and more food got on the floor than in their mouths, but their parents knew they wouldn't starve.

Tony finally gave up and walked over to Tim, who was bottle-feeding Belle.

"No luck?" Tim asked sympathetically.

Tony shrugged and smiled. "They're having too much fun. They've got cake all over them."

Ziva shuddered. "You get to bathe her, Tony. And be sure to get all of the frosting out of her hair." Tony looked back at Karina, with blue and red icing streaks in her hair and on her face, and burst into laughter.

"Well, until then, I guess I'll just spray her down with the hose." Tony suggested. Gibbs had set up a little wading pool for the toddlers, and they all decided it would be good to get them into it. It was hot, and the kids would love the water anyway.

Karina, Jamie, and Lizzie all had their suits on, the little girls wearing bikinis with ruffles. They splashed happily in their two inches of water and squealed with delight as Tony sprayed them with the hose.

Mimi sat next to them in a lawn chair, and got fairly soaked but she didn't mind. The pool water soon turned purple, with the mixture of blue and red frosting. Gibbs emptied the pool water and refilled it.

Tony brought Jack over in his diaper and gently sat him in the pool. "Be gentle, kids. Jack isn't used to all of this noise." Which of'course wasn't true, but Tony was afraid the splashing might scare him.

He had nothing to worry about, as Jack started kicking his legs and arms as soon as he felt the water. Tim and Abby decided to not but Belle and Will in as well, figuring they had plenty of time to experience the wonderful world of pools. If they minded not being able to get into the little pool, they didn't show it.

Ziva took Jack and dried him off, changing him into a new outfit. She chuckled as Tony chased Karina around the yard with a towel. She was giggling and Tony was pretending like he couldn't catch her. Finally, he swooped down and picked her up, wrapping the towel around her.

Ziva noticed he starting coughing a bit as he was carrying Karina back. "Gibbs, can you take Jack please?" Ziva asked. She hurriedly went up to Tony and took Karina. "Go inside and cool down, you will breathe better then." She looked deeply into his eyes.

Tony looked at her, his eyes dark with embarrassment and some concern. He hadn't had an issue since that time in the field. He nodded without saying anything and went inside the house. Ziva looked at Gibbs, who was watching them carefully.

He walked up casually with Jack. "Everything ok?" He asked quietly.

Ziva nodded and smiled. "It is a little hot for him right now. He is cooling off. He will be fine, Gibbs." Ziva said a little too sharply, and then bowed her head, glancing back up at him through her lashes.

"I know he will, Ziver." Gibbs kissed her temple. "Put Karina down, she'll be fine. Go check on him."

Ziva kissed Gibbs back and put Karina down. "You listen to Grandpa and Grandma, ok Karina? Mommy and Daddy will be right back."

"Ok, Mommy." Karina nodded her head up and down and took Gibbs' hand. Ziva brushed her fingers through her wet curls, and then turned to go into the house.

Ziva went into the kitchen, but didn't find Tony there. She wandered around a little and finally found him sitting in the living room, his head hung low.

She sat quietly beside him, taking his hand in hers. Tony looked up, his eyes betraying his emotions. "I thought I was doing better." He whispered.

Ziva kissed his cheek. "You _are_ doing better, Tony. It is a hot day and you were running and laughing and talking. That is a lot for any person."

Tony sighed. "I guess. I had to use my inhaler."

"Well, then it is a good thing you always have it on you, Tony. Do not be discouraged. This is how it is. We will get through this, we always do."

"I love you, Ziva." Tony leaned his head on her shoulder. He hated feeling so vulnerable, so…incapable.

"I love you too, Tony. You are fine now, yes? We should go back outside." Ziva stood up. Tony looked up at her.

Groaning, he stood up, still holding Ziva's hand. "Let's go, I guess I have to get used to this."

Ziva squeezed his hand and led him back out onto the deck. If anyone noticed Tony's episode, no one commented on it. Ten minutes later, he was rubbing Karina's hair with the towel and talking to Gibbs and Mimi.

Finally, it got dark and the fireworks started. The kid screamed in terror, then laughed and clapped in imitation of their parents. Belle's eyes were round in alarm, but she didn't make a peep. Will was fast asleep, dreaming baby-dreams, if logs can dream.

Karina was jumping up and down in excitement, waving her arms around. Ducky turned to Tony and Ziva. "She is either going to be exhausted and fall asleep the minute you put her to bed, or she is going to be so overstimulated that she will be awake all night."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other in alarm. "Karina, sweetie, come sit with Mommy and Daddy. That's a good girl." Ziva patted her lap. Karina grinned and ran over to her mother. Soon she was cuddling and watching the fireworks quietly.

Within twenty minutes of the fireworks being over, all the kids were asleep. Gibbs helped Abby and Tim put the twins into their car seats. Will stirred briefly, his little eyes crossly comically as they opened and then closed. He then grinned goofily, making Gibbs chuckle.

"Someone's filling his diapers." Gibbs quipped.

"That's nothing new." Tim replied. Abby just giggled.

Tony and Ziva loaded up the car. Karina woke up enough to kiss everyone goodnight. By the time Tony finished buckling her into her car seat, she was fast asleep again.

Ziva got into the car and turned around to check on the kids before they took off. Gibbs tapped the roof of the car and stepped back. He and Mimi, Breena and Jimmy waved as they pulled out.

"Jimmy, Breena: thank you so much. It was a wonderful birthday party." Mimi gave them each a hug.

Jimmy smiled, his arm around Breena. "Hey, we're really glad you could come. Please tell Lily we're sorry she couldn't make it."

Mimi nodded. "We will. She really wanted to come, but she and Sean went to his parent's home for a family get-together."

"Sounds like things are serious between those two." Jimmy smiled got wider.

Mimi shrugged. "Maybe. Lily is pretty closed about that sort of thing."

Gibbs just smiled softly. "I'm just the Dad, don't ask me."

Breena laughed. "Well, drive home safely and thanks again for the car you made for Jamie. I'm sure we'll never get him out of it!" Gibbs had made a little Ferrari for Jamie. It had peddles that made the car move and was painted a bright red.

"I'll probably have to make one for DiNozzo, now." Gibbs quipped, remembering how Tony had drooled over the toy. "But I think I underestimated the power of genetics." At Jimmy's puzzled look, Gibbs answered drily. "Karina: she wanted to know where hers was."

"Jethro really thought it was all going to be ballet and princesses with _his_ little princess." Mimi rubbed Gibbs' arm.

"Nah, not really. I knew Ziva would have more influence on her than Tony."

Everyone laughed at his insinuation that Tony was more a girl than Ziva was. "That was very bad, Jethro!" Mimi admonished him.

Gibbs just shrugged. "Let's get you home. You've had a long day." Mimi was now seven months pregnant and working part-time. She was doing well, but tired easily.

"See you later, Palmer. Goodnight, Breena." Gibbs waved as they drove off.

He glanced at Mimi. "You ok? I saw you rubbing your stomach a couple of times."

Mimi hummed to herself. "Yes, I'm good. Your son has been very active today, that's all. But I am tired." Gibbs reached over and took her hand, bringing it to his lips.

"We're almost home. We'll get you right into bed, ok?" He said softly.

"You take such good care of me, Jethro. Thank you for taking this journey with me."

Gibbs cocked his head, smiling.

Gibbs helped Mimi up the stairs. She stopped as always in the almost finished nursery, checking through clothes and necessary items. Gibbs grinned and went down to the basement.

He came up about ten minutes later, holding a cradle. "You finished it?" Mimi asked in excitement.

Gibbs couldn't hold back the pride he felt. "It's done. What do you think?" Mimi ran her hands over the wood, gently tracing the names Gibbs had so painstakingly carved.

"It looks absolutely beautiful, Jethro. I wish my Mom could see this." Mimi wiped at a tear.

"Yeah, mine too. I was too young for her to start talking to me about grandkids when she died. But I know she would have been excited and proud." Gibbs ran his finger across the names: "Andrew George".

"I'd like to think that somehow, both of our mother's know that their names will live on." He put his arm around Mimi, and kissed her.

_**Thanks again for being so patient while I am adjusting to working fulltime again. And welcome to my new faves and follows. Thank you for taking to time to visit my little world.**_

**NCIS**


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: I am so sorry that this is not really a chapter, but I felt I needed to stop keeping you hanging. I lost my father and have been in Florida. I will not be home for a few weeks. Thanks for your continued support and I promise to get back on the story as soon as I can. Karen


	23. Chapter 23

_**Gibbs couldn't hold back the pride he felt. "It's done. What do you think?" Mimi ran her hands over the wood, gently tracing the names Gibbs had so painstakingly carved.**_

"_**It looks absolutely beautiful, Jethro. I wish my Mom could see this." Mimi wiped at a tear.**_

"_**Yeah, mine too. I was too young for her to start talking to me about grandkids when she died. But I know she would have been excited and proud." Gibbs ran his finger across the names: "Andrew George".**_

"_**I'd like to think that somehow, both of our mother's know that their names will live on." He put his arm around Mimi, and kissed her.**_

Disclaimer: so Disclaimed

Chapter Twenty-Three: "Taking Time Off"

**NCIS**

Tony looked up from his desk, to peer over into Ziva's area. Her desk was actually on the opposite side of the divider from him, so they could talk privately without disturbing anyone. They found it to be an easy arrangement, and everyone else seemed fine with it.

Gibbs moved to the desk next to Tim's; Tim moved to Tony's and Stan moved to Ziva's. Once Gibbs was gone, Dornie would get Tim's old desk.

He watched Tim in amusement as he put his "Probie" through the ropes. Tony put Tim in charge of training Dornie, which was his job as Senior Field Agent. Everyone on the team would be pitching in and sharing their expertise. Tony himself had already expended a lot of time and effort on Dornie when Ziva had been out with baby.

Tony assigned Gibbs to assess Dornie's shooting abilities. He was surprised and gratified to find out that he was a crack shot. With Ziva off the team and Gibbs soon leaving, they needed a good sniper. Tony believed everyone on the team should be able to perform any duty, in case someone was out. But there were specialty areas that he didn't mind assigning.

Tim was obviously the computer whiz. Tony had no illusion that he would ever compare to Tim's abilities. Stan was a very good second to Tim. Stan was also very independent and good in the field as a result of one: being trained by Gibbs, and two: all those years as Agent-A-Float, when he only had himself to count on.

Tony smiled. The transition was going smoothly, much to his relief. He was also extremely happy that this new situation was not going to ruin his and Ziva's plan to go to England.

Last Christmas, Tony surprised Ziva with roundtrip tickets so they could go check out the Manor Home from his mother's estate. They had made plans to go in August. But that was before Gibbs announced his intention to retire.

Fortunately, Gibbs said they could still go, and Tony was getting excited. He had been to the estate once, as a small child. He is sure his memories of a huge, haunted castle will in no way reflect the reality of what they will see when they get there. He chuckled to himself. _"It's probably just some comfortable old carriage house."_

After much debate, they decided to take Karina and Jack with them. They thought it would be too much for Abby and Tim with their twins, or Mimi and Gibbs with Mimi in the final months of pregnancy.

Tony closed the file he had been working on and looked around for Ziva. He sensed her coming down the stairs and looked in that direction. He marveled at her figure, already slim and svelte. You would never know she had given birth to two babies.

She caught him looking at her, knowing what he was thinking. She smiled brightly and chuckled at him as she took her desk.

"How's the Boss?" Ton y asked her, assuming she had just been up to see Vance.

Ziva settled in her chair. "Director Vance is fine. I was just giving him a SITREP before we leave for London."

Tony grinned and leaned over the partition. "Situation Normal All Frakked Up?"

Ziva glared at his use of SNAFU.

"You are incorrigible, Tony." She scoffed.

Tony nodded in agreement. "We're all done here. What do you say we go get the bambinos and head on out? Mimi wants us there by seven." Mimi had insisted on throwing them a going away dinner, much to everyone's dismay.

Gibbs didn't want her to wear herself out, and Tony and Ziva were just as happy to throw the dinner themselves. But Mimi insisted, and Lily offered to pitch in to help. Lily was feeling lonely and blue, as Sean had finally taken off for MIT. They planned to get together in about three weeks, but as far as Lily was concerned, that may as well be forever.

Lily was getting ready to start her final semester, and then she would begin her Internship at NCIS, starting with the Field Agent Program at Quantico. She was terribly excited about this new chapter in her life, but also apprehensive. It was all still so new to her, unlike her nursing vocation that she had been planning on her whole life. She had tons of support between the team and Sean, so she felt reasonably calm but had rare moments of "why did I do this?" syndrome.

Mimi just smiled, patted her arm, or offered a shoulder if she needed it. Mimi was also acutely aware that Lily was missing Sean more than she thought she would. Mimi hoped that Lily would not give in to personal desires and cut short her goals to be with Sean. She still had plenty of time as far as she was concerned, and between her and Jethro, she would make sure Lily stayed true to her course.

Sean had done a bit of pressuring before he left for Boston: he asked Lily to marry him and move away with him. Lily was overwhelmed, and couldn't answer him right away.

She talked at length to Mimi and Gibbs, wanting to know their opinion. Mimi of'course wanted Lily to stay and finish her studies. "You need to be your own person, Lily." She told her. "Do not define yourself by your husband."

Gibbs just smiled and stayed out of the conversation. He was more conservative and a bit more old-fashioned than Mimi was. He and Ducky even called themselves "chauvinists".

Everyone liked Sean, but even Tony agreed that if he really loved her and wanted to marry her, he would wait. So Lily reluctantly turned down his proposal of marriage, but indicated that her refusal had to do with timing and not sentiment. Sean took it well, and agreed that maybe he had jumped the gun a bit. They agreed to remain as a couple and see how the separation might affect their relationship.

**Gibbs and Mimi's Home**

Lily put the finishing touches on the Insalata plate she was preparing while Ziva was cutting up fresh fruit, with a dipping sauce. Gibbs and Tony were preparing chicken and steak for the grill, and Mimi finished up the pitchers of iced tea and lemonade. Mimi looked around in satisfaction. Everyone was here, the house was full of laughter and baby squeals.

She rubbed her belly as Andrew gave a hard kick. "My, you are a pistol today, aren't you?" Mimi murmured softly. "You better stay put for a while or your Mama is going to be very unhappy."

Gibbs looked. "Is Drew giving you a hard time?" They hadn't quite decided if they were going to call the baby "Andrew" or "Drew", but they both decided that he would not be called "Andy."

Mimi looked thoughtful. "Just being a baby stuck inside a belly. He wants out, I can tell, but I've told him to stay put."

Gibbs' eyes got large at Mimi's assertion that their son "wanted out" but trusted Mimi that she had matters firmly in hand. After all, they had a little over a month to go yet. Thirty-four weeks was not a horrible time to be born, but forty weeks was much better. Gibbs decided that they would probably split the difference and the baby would come at around thirty seven weeks. This was still almost a month away.

He shrugged and decided he couldn't do anything about it anyway, and got back to his grill.

Tony had put the chicken on, and was basting the thighs with his home-made barbeque sauce.

A sudden wail got his attention and Tony looked up to see Karina standing in the sandbox, holding her finger and crying huge tears.

Ziva had already heard her daughter's cry and was heading to the play area to check on her. She bent over Karina, rubbing her back and soothing her tears as she checked on the injury.

All Ziva could see was a little cut, so she led Karina back into the house so she could wash her finger and put a band aid on it. Karina came back out, holding her finger out at an angle, being careful not to mess up her pretty band aid.

Jamie and Lizzie were very concerned and had to look at the bandaged finger to make sure everything was ok. Karina gave them a long commentary on the dangers of playing in the sandbox and to watch their fingers against injury.

Tony grinned as he watched Karina lecture her friends. She was definitely the ring-leader of the group, taking charge and deciding who played where and with what. Ziva was worried that she might turn into a bully, but Tony calmed her down. "First of all, she's not even two years old. Second, we keep an eye on her and we won't let that happen."

Ziva nodded and sighed. "She is the oldest and the most spoiled. I do not want our daughter to be a 'princess'. I want her to be a happy and loving child."

Tony just waved his hand. "She_ is_ that. I have no worries, Ziva. Karina is fine, Jack is fine. With you as their mother, how can they not be?"

Ziva blushed at that, and gave her husband a deep kiss. "You always know how to take away my concerns." She smiled at him.

After about ten minutes, Karina's "injury" was forgotten and she was playing as usual.

Dinner was festive as usual when the whole "clan" got together. The babies were fed and put down before the adults sat to eat. Tony peered down at the blanket that currently cushioned three little bodies.

Abby hugged him, smiling wide. "Aren't they just the cutest?" She beamed as she looked at Will, Belle and Jack. "We make great babies!" Tim chuckled and grabbed her hand.

"That we do, Abby. If I didn't know better, I'd say that Jack resembles the twins; which is silly because we aren't blood related."

Ducky scrutinized the sleeping infants, regarding Tim's words. "Ah, yes Timothy. I believe it is a phenomenon known as 'infanta resemble'. That is, unless there is some unusual characteristic such as an abnormally large proboscis, all infants tend to resemble each other in some fashion."

"Proboscis?" Tony asked.

Ducky chuckled. "Nose, Anthony. A very large nose."

Tony grinned and looked at his son. "Thank God my kids all seem to have Ziva's nose. Mine isn't that big, but hers is a nicer shape."

Ziva chuckled. "And they have your mouth, and your eyes. A very good combination, no?"

Tony swept her into his arms and kissed her. "A very good combination, yes!"

After dinner, they all sat on the deck, watching the stars come out. It was very hot, but a nice breeze cooled things down to a tolerable level.

"What time does your flight leave?" Gibbs asked.

Tony grimaced. "Around six p.m. I picked a fight with the least amount of flying time. We'll be in around 10 a.m. the next day. A ten-hour flight. I hope it's not too much for the kids."

Mimi nodded. "I think the worst problem you'll have is the change in air pressure. Once they get through that, it will be a matter of keeping them entertained. You may want to consider giving them some Children's Tylenol; it will calm them down and help them sleep."

Tony and Ziva didn't like giving Karina and Will medication unless they could avoid it. But they understood what Mimi was saying. They would all be trapped inside a big metal tube for ten-plus hours. Karina would not be able to run around and expend excess energy.

Tony did decide to splurge and they got first class seating, which would make it more comfortable not only for him and Ziva, but for the children. They got an extra seat for Karina and Jack, even though they could fly for free.

Once the airline realized they were travelling with two small children, they threw in some extra goodies: their seats folded down into beds, allowing them to actually get some sleep possibly.

Tony was under no illusion that he was not paying for these "extras" but he decided it would be worth it.

"Now, where exactly is this house of your mother's?" Lily asked.

Tony pulled out his phone. "It's located in Leigh, which is a village about five miles northwest of Cheltenham in Gloucester. I was there as a child, but can't really tell you more about it except what the lawyers tell me. If I remember from the documents it's a Georgian country house, located on the estate of my Grandfather Paddington. His home is _huge_. I visited there in my late teens. I don't know why I didn't see my mother's estate at the time. Maybe I refused to see it. I was pretty angry about her leaving." Tony trailed off.

Ziva took his hand. "We don't know much about the property, except that it has been maintained and upgraded as the years have gone by. I believe it also has stables and a tennis court."

Everyone's eyes got larger as each detail was revealed. "Tony, was your uncle Titled?" Ducky asked.

Tony nodded. "My grandfather was a Baron, so my uncle inherited the title, and then my cousin when my Uncle passed away. My mother had some title but I don't know what it was." Tony shrugged with indifference.

Ducky nodded. "Ah yes. Your mother would have been addressed as 'The Honorable' before her name. I don't believe any title would have come down to you, though, especially as your father was not titled."

Again Tony shrugged. It made no difference to him. His cousin Tristan was the one who inherited the title and all that went with it. That would just be a major headache and inconvenience for him.

"But I do insist on being referred to as 'My Lord'." He added mischievously.

Ziva snorted. "Yes, every day I say, my Lord!" Everyone laughed at that. All too soon, it was time to gather up the kids and head home. Tony and Ziva still needed to pack. They decided to let Bridget stay the night with Gibbs and Mimi since they would be watching her while they were gone and she wouldn't be underfoot in the morning as they were preparing to depart.

Karina kissed everyone goodbye, clinging to Gibbs. She placed her hands on his cheeks as usual. "I love you, Grandpa." She said solemnly.

Gibbs kissed her forehead and snuggled her against him. He was nervous about her going so far away and was surprised he felt so protective and anxious about her leaving.

"Come on, you'll see her in the morning." Tony held out his arms to his daughter. Reluctantly, Gibbs relinquished his hold and handed her over to her father's waiting arms.

Gibbs and Mimi kissed Jack's forehead, careful not to wake him up.

Abby hugged them both. "You'll call the minute you land, you got that?" She lectured them.

Ziva smiled softly. "We promise. We will call everyone, not just Gibbs and have him spread the word." Abby nodded in satisfaction.

Slowly, each little family left and headed to their own homes, as Tony and Ziva contemplated their upcoming adventure, and wondered what surprises might be in store.

_**Thank you so much for your overwhelming responses of sympathy. In the span of four days we buried my brother and my father. We cleared out the house and sold it in two weeks, and contacted all of the life insurance and pension people so my mother will be taken care of. I haven't really had time to mourn. And now, as I return to work, our annual Congress starts. I will be working for the next eight days straight, but I will take my lap top with me and try to write. This chapter was a little shorter than usual, but I wanted to get something out there. The house in GB is taken from a current property for sale in Leigh. The titles are from internet research. For those in the know, please tell me if I have made any errors. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support for me and for this story. I would like to welcome my new readers, faves and followers. You all keep me going. Since my Dad passed away, so has Mimi's. I will deal with this later on in the story.**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**Gibbs and Mimi kissed Jack's forehead, careful not to wake him up.**_

_**Abby hugged them both. "You'll call the minute you land, you got that?" She lectured them.**_

_**Ziva smiled softly. "We promise. We will call everyone, not just Gibbs and have him spread the word." Abby nodded in satisfaction.**_

_**Slowly, each little family left and headed to their own homes, as Tony and Ziva contemplated their upcoming adventure, and wondered what surprises might be in store.**_

Chapter Twenty-Four: "Taking Flight"

**Dulles Airport- Herndon, Virginia**

The entire gang came to the airport to see them off. Because there were so many of them, the airline very wisely put them in a lounge where they could be as noisy and boisterous as they desired. The toddlers ran back and forth to the windows, looking at the big planes, squealing in delight.

Ziva tried to explain to Karina that they were going to go inside one of the planes and fly in the air, but her explanation was lost on the twenty-month old.

The Captain and the crew came by to see them before it was time to embark and gave each of the children airline wings to wear and little planes. They were thrilled with their prizes and played with them, trying to make them fly.

Finally, it was time to board the plane, and Tony was surprised to find he was a little emotional. He hugged everyone tightly, kissing the woman and children. Ziva rubbed his back and chuckled. "We will be back, Tony. It is fine." He looked at her and smiled, even though his eyes were slightly moist. Ziva shook her head and said her final goodbyes to Gibbs and Mimi.

"Do not even think about having that child before we return!" Ziva sternly admonished Mimi. Mimi chuckled and hugged Ziva.

"Don't worry; I will keep my legs crossed if that's what it takes." Gibbs grimaced and shook his head. How these women could speak so frankly about things that he found intimate and frankly, taboo, was beyond him. Gibbs pulled Ziva into a hug.

"Have fun, keep safe, come home Ziver." He choked out. Ziva patted his cheek.

"You are as mushy as Tony. What is wrong with everyone? We are going to London, not Baghdad!" Ziva sighed in exasperation. She turned to Tony. "Are you finally ready?"

Tony nodded, picking Karina up. Ziva was holding Jack, who was asleep despite all the noise and activity. Taking one last look, the little family headed for the security check-in point. At Dulles airport, only ticketed passengers could go beyond the gate, so everyone else watched and waved as they made their way through the line and passed through to the other side. Giving one last wave, Tony and Ziva turned and headed toward their gate.

Gibbs sighed heavily. He didn't like seeing the babies go so far away, much to his surprise. Tony and Ziva? They could go to Timbuktu, he decided with a wry grin. No, he was all about Karina and Jack.

"Is Grandpa having separation anxiety?" Mimi teased him. Gibbs shrugged, not embarrassed at all by his feelings.

"It's the first time they've traveled. Of'course I'm worried and I miss them already." Gibbs answered honestly.

Mimi kissed his cheek. "I know. I feel the same way. I just don't show it. No sense getting everyone all riled up. They'll be fine. They have two very capable parents looking after them." She leaned into his arm, linking hers around his waist.

Gibbs kissed her temple. "Yeah, I know. But I'll feel better once I hear they are back on solid ground." Reluctantly, the festive group gathered their things and headed home.

The team was on call that weekend, which Tony was not happy with. He wanted to delay their trip but Vance and Gibbs put the kibosh on that idea. As per protocol Tim, as Senior Field Agent, would be in charge the two weeks that Tony was out. Tim was excited to handle the team. The only other time he had been in charge was when Gibbs had "retired" to Mexico and Tony had gone to that conference for two weeks.

Abby was excited for Tim, and proud that he would be stepping up into a leadership role. They were somewhat conflicted about Tim's future: as much as Tim wanted his own team, it would mean leaving the MCRT in DC, a proposition that neither Tim nor Abby wanted to contemplate.

He considered that he could go back down to the "basement", but that didn't hold much appeal for him. Reluctantly, he decided that if he wanted to improve his prospects for the future of his family, he may have to look outside the confines of DC. Tony had waited for Gibbs to retire; Tim wasn't sure he wanted to wait for Tony.

**Flight to London**

Tony and Ziva settled into their roomy seats, with Karina sitting with Tony and Jack with Ziva. Karina's eyes were round and large as she looked around at the strange surroundings.

Ziva was happy she didn't appear to be frightened by this new "place", but she knew that during the take-off things could go rapidly downhill. Tony gave her some books to look at to take her attention away from where she was and soon she was engrossed by the colorful pages of "The Little Mermaid".

"This is Captain Smyth. Our flight to London will be ten hours and eleven minutes. The temperature at Heathrow is presently 15 degrees, slight winds and overcast. We hope you enjoy your stay and thank you for flying with us today. Flight attendants, prepare for departure."

Tony turned to Ziva in alarm. "Fifteen degrees? This is August!"

Ziva rolled her eyes at her confused husband. "Fifteen degrees _Celsius,_ Tony. That's…" Ziva cocked her head as she did the math. "That's about fifty-eight degrees to us." Tony shook his head at not remembering the use of Celsius and the metric system overseas.

"Sorry." He said sheepishly. Ziva just chuckled. Just then the plane started moving. Karina looked up in surprise.

"Did you feel the plane move, Punkin?" Tony asked soothingly. He kept his voice neutral and calm, so Karina would not become alarmed. He directed her attention out the window, so she could see they were moving. "See? It's just like going for a ride."

Karina grinned and clapped her hands. "Grandpa?" Karina thought they were going to see Gibbs and Mimi.

Tony felt bad, but he smiled and shook his head. "Not this time, Sweetie. We're going on a long ride. It will be lots of fun." Privately, Tony hoped that this would be the case. He had visions of screaming children for ten hours and it made his stomach churn a little bit.

Karina didn't look upset, so he felt hopeful. He felt the plane pick up speed and held on to his daughter tighter. Karina's eyes were glued outside the window. As the plane lifted off the ground, the sensation of being airborne surprised her. She looked at Ziva, who smiled at her and offered words of encouragement.

Karina looked at her Daddy, who was watching out the window. She glanced back at her Mommy, who was cooing to Jack. This was a new and strange predicament she found herself in, but no one seemed to be unhappy at the moment. Karina decided that since her Daddy and Mommy were fine, then she and Jack were fine as well. She looked out the window with Tony.

The clouds were wispy but they caused a few bumps. Karina grabbed onto Tony, tightening her hold. Tony kissed her head and spoke softly to her. "Just some bumps in the road, Karina. Daddy's here to take care of you." Karina settled into his embrace, comforted and not too worried.

All of a sudden, her eyes got huge and she started to whimper. Tony felt the air pressure change as well. "Oh boy, here we go." He rubbed her back and tried to talk her through it, but Karina was frightened by this new sensation. Jack also woke up and was soon wailing in pain and confusion.

Ziva quickly got out the Children's Tylenol and gave some to Jack. She put him to her breast in an effort to calm him down. Her actions seemed to work as he latched on and began sucking in between little hiccups.

Ziva looked at Tony and Karina. "Do you want to give her some Tylenol?" She asked.

Tony was conflicted. He knew the discomfort was temporary and didn't want to dose Karina if he could avoid it. But her tears of pain tore him apart. He rocked her back and forth, trying to comfort her. Fortunately, the episode only lasted about five minutes and Karina settled down. She was anxious after the unexpected episode and clung to Tony.

Tony settled back into his seat and let Karina lay on his chest, rubbing her back and kissing her curls. Soon, he could feel her breathing even out. He looked at Ziva. "This one's out."

Ziva smiled and looked down. "So is this one. Hopefully, they will sleep through most of this flight. It was harder on them than I thought it would be." Ziva sighed as she kissed Jack's little fingers.

Tony agreed and pulled down the extra seat into a lying position. He put down a blanket and gently laid Karina down. They put pillows on either side of her to act as safety rails. The Flight Attendant showed up just then, smiling down at the family.

"Made it through our take-off ok?" She asked brightly.

Tony grimaced. "A few tears but otherwise unscathed."

"And that was just my husband." Ziva teased. Tony opened his mouth to retort, but just smiled and shook his head.

"Too true. And now, I would really like something old and gold. On the rocks, please." Tony leaned back in his seat and took Ziva's hand. "You don't mind, do you?"

Ziva looked surprised. "Why would I mind? As long as you do not drink the entire flight, I have no problem with you having a drink."

Tony kissed her hand. "I only asked because you can't drink. I don't like drinking when you can't. It's not fair, you know?"

Ziva leaned over and kissed him on the lips. "Believe me, I do not miss it. It is worth abstaining for the privilege of nursing my children." Her eyes softened as she looked at her son, feeling an overwhelming sense of pride and possessiveness that only a mother could know.

Tony's eyes glistened a bit as Ziva spoke. "I love you." He said hoarsely.

Ziva looked at him, the love in her eyes now focused solely on him. "_Ani ohevet otha, ahuvi_." They were interrupted by the attendant returning with Tony's Scotch.

"Thanks." He smiled. He grabbed Ziva's hand and took a small sip. Taking a deep sigh, he leaned back and contemplated the days ahead.

**Heathrow Airport**

The remainder of the flight was uneventful, with the babies sleeping through the food service. Ziva was able to lay Jack down next to Karina for several hours so she could relax and enjoy the flight. The descent into Heathrow and the accompanying air pressure changes brought the same reactions, although Karina wasn't as upset as she was the first time.

"See? She's already a seasoned traveler!" Tony beamed proudly. Jack was not as happy, but Ziva refrained from giving him Tylenol again because she didn't want to totally disrupt his sleep pattern.

The landing was smooth and Karina was thrilled by the rushing scenes outside the window. It helped that Tony was overly excited and animated and entertaining. The landed right on time, at 10:20 in the morning. As they disembarked, Tony looked around for the directions to the baggage claim.

Instead, what he saw was a gentleman in an expensive suit holding a sign that said "DiNozzo". Tony walked up to the man and introduced himself.

The man smiled. "Ah, yes. I recognize you from your visit as a teenager. Niles Forbush, at your service." The man tipped his head and offered his hand, which Tony took.

"Have we met?" Tony asked, clearly not remembering this person.

"Only briefly." Mr. Forbush explained. "My father was the administrator of your Grandfather's home while he was living. It is now my happy privilege to oversee the household for your cousin Crispian. We met many years ago on the occasion of your visit, but it was only briefly." He looked up a Ziva and the children.

"Mrs. DiNozzo, I am delighted to make your acquaintance. Miles Forbush." Ziva took his proffered hand, and was surprised when he kissed hers. She raised an eyebrow at Tony, who just shrugged.

"I will be taking you back to the estate, where His Grace is waiting for you. Your luggage has already been taken care of. Please, come." Mr. Forbush turned smartly on his heel and strode away. Tony and Ziva scrambled to follow after him, keeping a tight hold on their children and belongings.

They found themselves outside staring at a large limousine. True to his word, their luggage had already been loaded into the roomy trunk. Ziva climbed in first, finding she could practically walk inside the car. Tony followed with Karina and they settled themselves into the plush comfortable seats.

Ziva glanced out of the large windows, suddenly feeling the hair raise on the back of her neck. She leaned forward and turned her head back and forth.

Tony caught her movements. "What is it?" He kept his voice neutral to not scare the babies.

Ziva continued peering outside, not saying anything. Finally, she settled back, and looked at Tony. "It is probably nothing. I am perhaps remembering the last time I was here, for Mossad." Ziva shrugged.

Tony stared at her for a while, trying to determine whether or not she was holding back anything, but he soon gave up.

"Cheltenham is about eighty seven miles from Heathrow. I anticipate our drive will be a little over an hour and twenty minutes." Forbush informed them. He cheerfully turned back and started the car.

**Washington, DC**

Gibbs was awake exactly at five a.m. He groaned as he got out of bed, careful to not wake up Mimi. Slowly he made his way downstairs and made some coffee.

He sat quietly at the table, glancing at his watch now and then. He knew that Tony and Ziva should have landed by now, but he also knew they probably wouldn't call him at five twenty in the morning, despite his directive to do just that. He wished he could call Tim to have him check to see if the flight landed safely, but restrained himself. He was on his third cup of coffee when he heard Mimi coming down the stairs. He got up and had her coffee waiting for her when she finally made her way to the kitchen.

"Thank you, Jethro." Mimi took a blissful sip of the brew. She was limited to one cup a day and took great pleasure in it. She sat down next to Gibbs and checked her watch.

"How long have you been waiting?" She asked, her eyes twinkling.

Gibbs smiled. "Since five. I knew they wouldn't call when they first landed, but I wanted to be up, just in case."

"Uh huh." Mimi took another sip. Just then, Gibbs' phone rang. He almost knocked over his coffee grabbing it. Glaring at Mimi, who was shaking with silent laughter, he took a deep breath.

"Gibbs." He answered normally, as if he hadn't been waiting forever for this call. He discreetly put the phone on speaker.

"Hey Boss! We are on terra firma and relatively unscathed." Tony smiled as he spoke.

"Relatively unscathed? What does that mean?" Gibbs frowned.

Tony shrugged. "Nothing much. Kids had a few bad moments during the change in air pressure, but overall did very well with the flight. We were met by the administrator of my cousin's estate. We are driving as we speak to Cheltenham, in a limo no less."

Gibbs' eyebrows rose. "You are taking a limo from the airport to your house? How long will that take?"

"About an hour and a half, according to Mr. Forbush. We have already been driving for quite some time; I expect we should be there shortly." Ziva answered the question. "There is someone here who wants to speak to you."

"Hi Grandpa!" Karina's baby girl voice came through loud and clear. Tears came to Gibbs' eyes.

"Hi Princess. I hear you were a big girl on your first airplane ride."

Karina nodded up and down. Tony chuckled. "She's nodding, Boss."

"How did Jack do?" Mimi asked. "Is that him I hear making noises in the background?"

Ziva chuckled. "He is very vocal this morning, Mimi. I think he knows he is not at home, and wants to know what we are up to. But he is happy. I had to give him some Tylenol after we took off, but he was fine for the landing." Ziva smoothed his hair as he gurgled at her.

Mimi smiled. "That's good. Well, we are very relieved that your flight went well. Let us know how things are at the house. And don't forget to call Abby." They all knew that Abby would be the only one put out if she didn't get her own call. The others were satisfied to hear news from Gibbs.

Tony laughed. "I hear you on that one! She is next on the list. Oh my God!"

"What is it, Tony?" Gibbs and Mimi looked at each other, concern etched on both of their faces.

Tony's voice was somewhat subdued when he spoke again. "I was wrong. This place is even bigger than I remembered!"

_**Thanks again to the kind reviews and PM's and welcome to my new readers. I purposely did not name an airline as I have only flown to London once about thirty years ago. We were crammed together like sardines in a can, very miserable flight; but great vacation!**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**Mimi smiled. "That's good. Well, we are very relieved that your flight went well. Let us know how things are at the house. And don't forget to call Abby." They all knew that Abby would be the only one put out if she didn't get her own call. The others were satisfied to hear news from Gibbs.**_

_**Tony laughed. "I hear you on that one! She is next on the list. Oh my God!"**_

"_**What is it, Tony?" Gibbs and Mimi looked at each other, concern etched on both of their faces.**_

_**Tony's voice was somewhat subdued when he spoke again. "I was wrong. This place is even bigger than I remembered!"**_

Because I keep forgetting to write a disclaimer, I own nothing although I wish I did.

Chapter Twenty-Five: "Welcome Home"

Tony gulped as the limo pulled into the gated property. The long drive of cobblestone extended at least a half of a mile before it turned into a curved drive in front of the stately mansion. A huge fountain stood in a grassy mall in front of the large home, that no doubt lighted the night sky when the sun set.

The limo came to a gentle halt and Mr. Forbush came around to open the passenger door. Ziva alit first, taking in the huge edifice before her. "If Mimi was here, she'd say she was about to have the vapors." Ziva turned to Tony in shock and awe. "You told me it was huge, but this is…"

"Yeah, I know. Huge." Tony finished for her, grinning. "I really don't remember it being this big. I guess I wasn't impressed by wealth back then."

"And you are now?" Ziva asked quietly, not quite believing him.

"Only ours." Tony chuckled. He turned to help Niles retrieve the luggage but found that it had already been whisked away. He found the surreptitious "help" a little disconcerting, but shrugged it off.

"Your luggage will be taken to your home where I am sure you would prefer to retire and refresh yourselves after your long flight. However, His Grace did wish to greet you before you settled in. If you will follow me, please." Forbush led them up the sweeping steps.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other. Tony wagged his eyebrows up and down. "My Lady…" Tony waved his hand in front of him. Ziva bowed her head and gave a slight curtsey.

"My Lord." She answered, a mischievous gleam in her eye. If they thought the outside was grand, they were in for a shock when they entered the Grand Foyer.

"Holy…" Ziva slapped her hand over Tony's mouth.

"Cow." He mumbled beneath her fingers. She glared at him and looked pointedly at the children.

"Sorry, lost my mind for a minute. Will you get a load of this set-up?" Tony's head was whipping around, trying to take it all in. "Hey, is that a Renoir?"

"Tony, my dear Cousin! I do hope your trip was not too tiring." Crispian Paddington, the fourth Baron Paddington and current owner of Ashleigh Manor, named for the beautiful trees that graced the grounds; stood at the foot of the sweeping gilded staircase, his English impeccable, his dress decidedly Ralph Lauren.

"Crispian, you look great! Good to see you, Man." Tony came forward and shook his cousin's hand. "Cris, this is my wife and better half, Ziva. And these little hooligans disguised as angels are our children, Karina and Jack."

Cris took Ziva's hand as Niles had and bent over it, kissing her knuckles lightly. "I am delighted and charmed." Cris smiled at her. He took a good look at the children.

"Hello there? Are you hungry? We have some biscuits in the kitchen." Karina looked perplexed and confused by the accent.

"Want a cookie, Punkin?" Tony asked. Karina clapped her hands in excitement.

"Cookie!" She exclaimed. The adults all laughed, and followed Cris toward the back of the house. The kitchen was the size of their home in Arlington, Ziva gasped to herself.

"Phoebe is out riding with the children, but they will be back in a bit. So I am afraid I am left to fend for myself." Cris smiled. "Don't let all of the household help fool you. We do a lot ourselves. Phoebe cooks dinner every night and we put our own children to bed. It is only when we have a horde over for a festive evening are we required to play the grand land owners." Cris rummaged through some cabinets until he found what he was looking for.

"Here you go young lady. A sweet for the Sweet." He handed Karina the cookie, which she took daintily.

"Thank you." She said softly, still shy. Cris turned to look at Jack.

"I think we may have something for this little fellow, that is if is all right with you?" He looked at Ziva.

Ziva smiled her thanks at being consulted. "Actually, it is near his feeding time, so I think we can hold off on the cookies for now."

"Aw, yes. Of'course. You will want to get settled in. Come, the car is in the garage for you. It is too far to walk after all." He flashed his bright smile again. "Do you remember how to get there?" He directed the question at Tony.

Tony frowned. "I don't think so. I've only been to the house as a young child. I really don't remember going there the last time I was here."

Cris laughed. "No, you refused. I believe it was something about not caring amount material things or some other rubbish." Tony had the grace to look mortified.

"I said that? Or did I just imply it by being annoyed by my Father's jet-set ways?"

"Ah…you _do_ remember. Take the back road behind the gardens; it will take you directly to your home. I think you will be quite please. Your mother's estate has maintained the property quite brilliantly, and Phoebe has overseen the recent renovations to the kitchen and baths. I do hope that they are to your liking." Cris looked anxious.

Tony waved off his hand. "Hey, we appreciate everything you have done. I only found out about this house about two years ago."

Cris beamed. "Good Man! Here are the keys, go enjoy yourselves. We do, however expect you for dinner tonight; just the family, nothing fancy or dress-up. My children are delighted about your visit and can't wait to meet you, especially their American cousins." Cris smiled down at the babies.

Ziva nodded her thanks. "Yes, we would like to relax and get settled a bit. What exactly is the dress code? We don't want to embarrass ourselves."

Tony chuckled at Ziva's concern. Never before had she been worried about what she was wearing. He couldn't wait until their first dress-up evening dinner in this estate, as he knew his cousin would not waste an opportunity to throw a bash.

"We are planning to dine al fresco so whatever you are comfortable wearing. It is chilly at night, so an outer wrap is highly recommended, although we do have heaters outside as well." Cris walked them outside to the garages and led them to a Mercedes SUV.

Tony kept his expression blank, as he expected no less. Ziva was used to Mercedes as it was the vehicle of choice for Mossad. They carefully placed the children in their car seats, which were thoughtfully provided.

Tony got into the right side of the car and looked over the controls. "Looks the same, just on the wrong…oops! Just on the 'other' side." Tony corrected his little faux pas. The last thing he wanted to do was insult their Host.

Cris just laughed at him. "Right, wrong, left, right. You'll figure it out and be driving like a loyal subject of Her Majesty before you know it."

Tony started the car, closing his eyes in bliss at the purr of the engine. He waved to Cris and pulled out of the garage, taking the road directed.

**NCIS**

Abby looked at her watch and fumed. It was nine a.m. and Tony hadn't called yet. She knew they had to have landed by now, and she also knew that he had probably already called Gibbs. Pride kept her from calling or going upstairs to grill him.

She sighed and twisted her bracelets around her wrists. "That man is infuriating!" She said to herself.

"Who is? I hope you don't mean me!" Tim had just entered the Lab and caught her muttering.

Abby glared at her husband. "Tony! And Ziva! They promised they would call, but have they called? No! But I'll bet they called Gibbs, because they always call Gibbs, but they never remember to call me." Abby looked like she had just lost her best friend.

Tim could never understand Abby's insistence on getting her own personal notification of news or events, but he accepted it. He did know that Tony had called Gibbs, but he wasn't about to share that news with Abby. At least not right now. He also knew that Tony had been interrupted when he was talking to Gibbs, which was why he probably hadn't called Abby yet, but he couldn't tell her that without explaining how he knew. It was a Catch-22.

"They probably just wanted to get the kids settled first at the house. Do you know how long it will take them to get there from the airport? I don't, but I don't think it is real close." Tim tried to soothe Abby with reasonable facts and logic.

Abby considered the explanation. "Ok, I'll give them that. But they better call soon or…" Just then her phone rang.

She looked at the readout and beamed at McGee. "Tony! Ziva! Are you there? How was your flight? Are the babies ok? What's the house like? How's the weather? I miss you guys already!" Abby's non-stop monologue was given in one breath.

Ziva chuckled on the other end. "We miss you too, Abby. We are fine. The flight was long but ok. The kids handled it as well as expected, not too bad just some minor discomfort. The weather is cool but comfortable and we are on our way to the house now."

Abby frowned. "What have you been doing for the last two hours?"

Ziva looked at Tony, who had been listening to the conversation. "We landed, got met at the airport, were driven for over an hour to my Cousin's estate, met with my Cousin and spent some time with him and now we are driving to our house. Satisfied?" Tony summed up their morning to date.

"Very!" Abby answered. "Be sure to take tons of photos and send them every day."

"Yes Ma'am." Tony replied drily. "We're bushed, so we are going to go settle in, relax, maybe catch a few zzz's and then my cousin is having a dinner for us tonight."

"A dinner? A big festive "Welcome to the UK" kind of thing or just a small private family thing? What is he cooking? Or does he have servants or something?" Tim asked.

"Oh, hey Tim! Well, he does have a household staff, although I'm not sure the term 'servant' is politically correct. But during normal family time they are just like us. But I have to admit I didn't ask what the menu was. We'll call you tonight from the big house." Tony answered. "Got to go, coming up on the house and I don't want to be distracted. It's been a long time. Sorry." Tony had pulled the car over as soon as he caught sight of the house he had inherited.

He wanted to fully appreciate the property as they drove up. That meant no Abby on the phone. Fortunately, both she and Tim understood. After promising again to send pictures, he hung up. Tony looked at Ziva, taking her hand. "Are you ready?"

"The question is, Tony: are you? It has been how long since you have been here?" Ziva asked softly.

Tony got a faraway look in his eyes. "I think I was four or five. I know from my dad that we often came here, but I only vaguely remember the last time, with just my mother." He was silent for a few moments. Ziva caressed his cheek, bringing him out of his reverie.

He smiled warmly at her. "I'm ready." He said simply. Putting the car back into gear, he headed for the stately home that they now called "theirs".

Tony drove slowly, taking in the formal gardens and graceful drive. Pulling to a stop, he and Ziva got out and looked around. Catching each other's eye, they smiled.

"It's beautiful, Tony." Ziva whispered softly. She took in the graceful Georgian architecture and coin detailing. She and Tony got the kids out of the backseat and walked to the entrance. Tony fumbled with the key, feeling overwhelmed and unaccountably nervous. Ziva placed a steadying hand on his, giving a slight pressure.

Tony looked into her eyes, seeing her understanding at his emotional state and gave her a grateful smile. With more strength than he felt, he got the key into the lock and opened the front door.

They were greeted by a gorgeous foyer adorned with beautiful fresh flowers. Ziva walked over to the reception table and picked up a note left by Crispian, welcoming them.

To their delight, he included a floor plan so they didn't have to waste time hunting for rooms. Tony shook his head in amazement. "He really is the perfect host, isn't he? I know when I found out he inherited the whole shebang and I was left with an I.O.U., I was probably very unpleasant in my description of him, but he really is a good guy."

Ziva raised an eyebrow. "I had forgotten about that. How did you two work it out? You never said anything more about it."

Tony looked embarrassed. "Well, after some whining on my part, he pardoned the loan. But after I found out about the house, I arranged for any rental income to go to him until the loan was paid off. I try to make good on my debts."

Ziva touched his arm. "That was a wonderful idea, Tony. I am sure your cousin appreciated the gesture, although it is clear that the money is not necessary. Or perhaps it is? I would think it would cost a fortune just for the upkeep of that estate."

Tony agreed as the made their way up the stairs to what they were confused to find out was referred to as the "first floor". "Let's see." Ziva scrutinized the floor plan. "Where we came in is the 'Ground Floor'. This is the 'First Floor, where the bedrooms are. The Master Bedroom is there." Ziva pointed to the second door on the right.

They walked into a large bedroom with an ensuite bath and separate dressing room. The room was tastefully and expensively decorated, in muted colors and silk and damask fabric.

"Wow." Tony peek into the bathroom. "Cris was right, Ziva. This has been totally updated and is very modern and upscale. You will love the tub. I wish we had a bath like this at home." Ziva poked her head in and saw the free-standing oval tub and huge walk-in shower.

"I don't know. I like ours better I think." She said after some consideration. "I need to feed Jack." She went in search for a chair to sit in that would be comfortable enough to breastfeed. She didn't feel sitting on the bed would be a good idea in case Jack threw up or something on the expensive bedding.

She wandered out into the hall and poked her head into one of the bedrooms across the hall. "Tony, come here. You need to see this!" She called out in wonder.

Tony walked quickly to where Ziva was standing. The bedroom was set up as a nursery, complete with two cribs, a rocking chair, and complete nursery furniture, as well as an abundance of toys. Ziva smiled brightly.

"This is perfect! It even has a bathroom attached. Come on, Jack. Are you hungry? Mommy's sorry for making you wait so long." Ziva sat in the upholstered rocker and undid her top.

Jack had not been complaining, but he latched on so hard and so quickly Ziva winced. Tony noticed and caressed her cheek.

"Hungry, huh? You ok?" He tried to keep the concern out of his voice.

Ziva shook her head, patting his bottom as he sucked greedily. "It was a shock at first, but I am fine now. He has been a very good boy; I cannot blame him for attacking his food supply."

Tony chuckled at that. He looked at Karina. "How about you, Punkin? I think you need to take a nap. It's been a long day and a half." He had put her down and she made a bee-line at the toys. She found a rocking horse similar to hers and was on it, laughing.

"That's like your pony, isn't it?" Tony asked. Karina nodded, but began rubbing her eyes. He scooped her up. "Ok, which bed do you want? The pretty pink one or the ugly blue one?" Tony clearly steered her toward the girly bed, while Ziva rolled her eyes.

"You are such a girl, Tony. What difference does it make if she should choose the blue one? It does not make her any less a baby girl. Unless your masculine pride won't let your son sleep in a pink bed perhaps?" Ziva asked, amused by his antics.

Tony grinned and shrugged. "It makes a difference to Karina, doesn't it, Sweetie?" He kissed her cheek, making it very slobbery so she would giggle. He gently laid her down in the crib and undressed her, leaving her in her diaper and shirt. He bent down to kiss her again as he covered her with a pretty blanket.

Before he straightened back up, she was sound asleep, the excitement of the plane and car ride finally taking its toll. Jack gave a large belch, indicating the end of his meal.

Ziva stood up slowly and walked to the other crib and laid him down. He didn't wake as she gently undressed him and covered him up.

Tony and Ziva stood together, their arms around each other's waist as they gazed on their sleeping children. They both sighed in contentment and quietly retired to their room. They undressed down to underclothes and slid under the covers.

Ziva snuggled into Tony, luxuriating in his strong arms about her, stroking her back. Tony bent his head to kiss her deeply, but they knew that any lovemaking would have to wait until they both recharged.

Lying back against the plump pillows, Tony took Ziva's hand and looked her deeply into her eyes. He wanted to ask her about her unusual reaction at the airport, but her eyes were already closing. Sighing, he tightened his hold and soon found himself drifting off.

_**Thanks again for the great reviews and kind words. I am pleased that I am gaining some new readers, welcome! For those interested in Tony and Ziva's home, it is a real place for sale. The website is listed below. Ashleigh is a made-up name for another estate I found for sale on the internet, although it is not in the same place as the other home. The home descriptions are from the internet sites. **_

_** property-detail/gbhmrscls070022**_

_**The big estate is on Zoopla:**_

_**14 bedroom property for sale**_

_**Kingston Lisle, Wantage, Oxfordshire OX12**_


	26. Chapter 26

Well, the news is out: Cote is leaving which means no Ziva and Tony. I do not have the heart to continue this series. When this story line is done, I will bid adieu to the NCIS fanfic world.


	27. Chapter 27

**As everyone knows by now, our beloved Ziva will be gone soon. Chris Waild tweeted the following: **_"__To any concerned - it will be okay. Trust me_." ** I'll only take that it's ok if Ziva leaves so she and Tony can be together, and even then it will be bitter sweet not to see it. I think he meant she will not be killed off. I posted a faux chapter saying once this story was done, I would stop writing. I meant the series, ****not**** this story. Ziva was my muse. But time will tell, I may change my mind. **

**By the way, I love reviews but please do not use my stories (i. !) as a forum to post your dislike of Cote/Ziva or whatever, or attack my view about her leaving. Thank you for your support!**

_ncisncisncisncisncis_

_**Tony and Ziva stood together, their arms around each other's waist as they gazed on their sleeping children. They both sighed in contentment and quietly retired to their room. They undressed down to underclothes and slid under the covers. **_

_**Ziva snuggled into Tony, luxuriating in his strong arms about her, stroking her back. Tony bent his head to kiss her deeply, but they knew that any lovemaking would have to wait until they both recharged. **_

_**Lying back against the plump pillows, Tony took Ziva's hand and looked her deeply into her eyes. He wanted to ask her about her unusual reaction at the airport, but her eyes were already closing. Sighing, he tightened his hold and soon found himself drifting off.**_

Chapter Twenty-Seven: "Making Discoveries"

**NCIS**

Tim wiped the sweat out of his eyes, groaning as his leaned on his shovel. A decomposed body had been found in an empty lot, wearing Marine camouflage and dog tags that identified the victim as MSgt Gabriel Zelner. Unfortunately, as they were disinterring the remains, another body was found nearby.

The lot was now dotted with several holes, with three bodies found in varying stages of decay. Tim hated these kinds of cases. Was it a single crazed serial killer that periodically stalked and killed military personnel? Were the victims random or targeted? Was there a deeper meaning to these killings or where they just senseless acts of violence?

Whatever the answer, this was going to be a big case and Tim was the Team Leader in charge of investigating and solving these heinous crimes. Gibbs stood with him as the last body was carted off to the morgue. They had recruited the second unit for assistance as well, as the forensics team painstakingly collected fibers and hair and anything else that looked pertinent to the investigation.

Over 100 evidence bags were filled, and Tim worried that it would be too much for Abby and Lilly. "Hey, Boss. What do you think about getting Ellie Black back in to assist? If it is still too much, we can borrow from one of our sister agencies."

Gibbs looked at Tim with a wry smile on his face. "Are you talking to me, McGee? Because the last time I looked, _you_ were the Boss."

Tim's face reddened, feeling foolish for his error. Gibbs waved his hand. "Do you really want my opinion? Because I think you have already made your decision. You certainly don't need my permission. But you will need to talk to the Director if you plan to bring in extra personnel." Gibbs knew the hiring freeze from last year had finally been lifted, thanks to Congress getting their act together and agreeing on some crucial tax cuts that didn't affect the military a_nd_ their civilian personnel.

Tim nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I have made up my mind." Hepulled out his cell and called Vance, stepping away to talk in private. Fifteen minutes later, he had procured permission to bring in Dr. Black, and had already contacted her. He smiled at one problem solved, totally unaware that the coming days would bring more problems that would test his leadership and investigative skills in ways he had never imagined.

**Cheltenham, Gloucester, UK**

Tony opened one eye and looked around vaguely, slightly disoriented. Finally, his brain started working again and he remembered where he was. He looked at Ziva, still snoring softly, her mouth slightly open in that cute way that he so loved. He gently pushed back a curl from her face, trying not to wake her.

Groaning, he got up and stretched. "I wonder if this place has a pool." He thought to himself. Tony still had to swim per doctor's orders as part of his pulmonary rehab. After much grumbling, he realized he was feeling better than he had in years. An added bonus was the toning of muscles he had long thought had disappeared with the advance of middle age. He smiled to himself as he thought of the bonus that added fitness gave to his and Ziva's lovemaking.

He quickly dressed, got his swim trunks and headed into the hall. He took a quick peek into the nursery, seeing his two children still sound asleep. Tony tiptoed to the stairs, hoping the fine wood floors wouldn't creak.

Tony looked at the map Cris had given them and studied it with interest, noting where various rooms, especially the kitchen, were located. He found the pool on the lower level and proceeded to make his way down the hall.

As Tony turned the corner, he stopped in amazement. The pool was indoors and breathtaking, encased in a glass enclosure and surrounded by gardens. Tony noted absently that one could actually swim naked in this pool and there would be no snooping neighbors to complain. He made a mental note to himself to remember that thought.

Quickly shedding his outer clothes, he carefully made his way to the shallow end and down the graceful steps. "Oh, man, this is great!" Tony murmured as the perfectly heated water eased his aching muscles. He began to stroke, slowly and purposefully, keeping his breathing even and non-labored.

After swimming for about twenty minutes, he pulled himself up out of the pool and sat in the Jacuzzi. The massaging water felt wonderful, relaxing and invigorating at the same time. He idly looked around the glass enclosure, noting again the serenity and peacefulness. Although opulent, it was not over the top and garish; rather it was more in line with a high end spa.

"Now, if I can just get a massage, I will count this day as perfect." Tony mused. He had no doubt he could get a massage if he requested it, but still felt a bit out of place. This may be his "house" but it wasn't his "home"; at least not yet anyway.

He reluctantly dried off and headed back upstairs, where he found Ziva breastfeeding Jack and Karina sitting in the middle of their bed playing with Bobo.

"Daddy!" Karina squealed in delight as she caught sight of him. Tony grinned foolishly, knowing he would never tire of hearing that come out of his daughter's sweet mouth.

"I see you found the pool." Ziva observed, noting his still wet hair.

Tony shrugged. "I wanted to get my laps in while I could. We can go swimming later with the kids if you want."

Ziva considered his proposal. "A swim would be nice. My muscles are tight from the plane ride. We have plenty of time though, if we don't get to it today. I don't suppose you found the Media Room, did you?"

Tony stopped in his tracks, mid-hair drying. "What did you say?"

Ziva chuckled. "You heard me. A 'Man Cave'. It is downstairs, I believe on the same level as the pool."

Tony looked perplexed. "When did you have enough time to get that good of a look at that map?"

Ziva just hiked an eyebrow and Tony pursed his lips. "Oh yeah, it's you we're talking about. Photographic memory."

Ziva hummed to herself in amusement, rocking Jack as he continued to nurse. "Jack is very hungry, aren't you my love?"

Jack grinned at his mother as she talked gently to him. Tony kissed his head and headed into the bathroom to finish getting ready. He shook his head as a large belch came from the bedroom.

"Was that you or Jack?" He called out.

"Very funny, Tony." Ziva shot back. "Karina and I are hungry. We are going to go down to the kitchen and look around. I will leave Jack here with you if that is ok. I cannot carry both of them down the stairs and I do not want Karina to try to navigate such a large staircase."

Tony poked his head out. "Sure thing, we'll be right down." He took Jack from her. "Ok, big guy. Let me show you the finer points of hairstyling."

Ziva held her arms out to Karina and together they made their way downstairs to the "ground" level. She found the kitchen toward the back, and she was thrilled to see that it was completely modern and up to date. She approved of the décor and color scheme, reminding herself to thank Phoebe.

She put Karina down and admonished her to stay with her while she explored the well-stocked pantry. Karina stayed glued to her side, looking curious as Ziva opened cupboards and drawers.

"Well, Karina. We have everything I need to cook for your Daddy. Would you like a cheese sandwich?" Ziva looked down at her daughter, caressing her cheek.

Karina nodded her head up and down and ran to one of the seats at the island. Ziva hoisted her up. "You must stay quiet in this seat, Karina. No standing or climbing, yes?"

Karina put her hands on the island's granite top, as if anchoring herself. "I good, Mommy." She chirped.

Ziva chuckled. "You are _very_ good, Sweetness." She kissed the top of her head and then proceeded to make her sandwich. Every once in a while she glanced in her direction, but Karina was concentrating on not moving in her seat.

Tony and Jack showed up, and Tony put him in the highchair that was in the corner. Tony looked around and whistled in appreciation.

"This is great! Cris and Phoebe did a great job updating the place." He walked over to where Ziva was working. She handed him Karina's sandwich, which he dutifully took to her. Tony looked at her quizzically.

"Why is Karina holding onto the counter for dear life?" He asked Ziva.

Ziva laughed. "I told her she could not move from that chair. Apparently, she took me to heart."

Tony smiled at his daughter. "Here you go, Punkin. Mommy made a yummy sandwich for you." Karina took a dainty bite.

"Yummy!" She said, her mouth full of bread and cheese.

"No talking with food in your mouth, Karina please." Ziva noted. Karina obediently chewed her food and swallowed.

"Do you want something, Tony? There is plenty of food here." Ziva eyed him as was looking through the fridge.

He straightened up, having found some bottled water. "I could eat, but I don't want to ruin my appetite for tonight. I can make myself a sandwich or something." He looked through the refrigerator again and began pulling out items he wanted to use.

The resulting sandwich was large and complicated. Ziva rolled her eyes. "I thought you didn't want to ruin your appetite?" She ribbed him.

Tony looked at her, confused. "It's only a sandwich."

Ziva shook her head and began eating her own salad. "What time is dinner tonight?" She checked her watch. "I would like to explore the house a bit before we have to get ready."

Tony thought about it. "I would think about eight, so we should arrive around seven." He took another big bite out of his sandwich. He wanted to ask Ziva about the airport but wasn't sure he should say anything in front of Karina; especially if he wasn't going to like what Ziva had to say.

Ziva sensed his hesitation. "Is something wrong, Tony?" She frowned slightly.

Tony shrugged. "I don't know. Not sure we should talk about it in front of tiny ears."

Ziva's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Well, now you have to say something. You cannot leave it at that."

Tony wiped his mouth. "I was just worried about your reaction at the airport. You tensed up there for a moment. Is there something I should know?" His eyes bored into Ziva's, daring her to say "It is nothing" or "It is fine".

Ziva looked blank for a moment, and then realization dawned on her soft features. "Oh, yes. I am not sure. I felt something, a sensation I used to get when I was in the field and trying to elude…enemies."

Tony frowned. "Do you think someone was watching you…or us?" Tony was smart enough to realize that as the daughter of the Director of Mossad, there could be international interest in her. In the Unites States, she was safe, but here? He hadn't considered that when they decided to travel. He wondered briefly if they would always have to watch their backs.

Ziva seemed to sense his mind's musings, as she shook her head. "No, I did not feel threatened. With my new position, I see a lot and hear a lot, Tony. Maybe I saw someone who has come across my desk but didn't make the whole connection. I don't know, but I am not concerned."

That was all Tony needed to hear. He nodded and turned back to the remaining few bites of his sandwich. He took his and Ziva's plates to the sink and washed them up. Ziva had located the lightweight strollers they had brought for Karina and Jack and had already put Jack into the first one.

Tony took Karina's hand and helped her into her stroller. "Want to go for a walk outside, Punkin? Let's see what we got, Ok?" Tony grinned at her.

"Ok!" Karina clapped her hands in excitement. She loved going outside for walks, especially when she was allowed to toddle around.

They went outside through the glass enclosed sun room, stepping into a beautiful landscaped formal gardens and fountains. Stone paths bordered the sculptured hedges. Benches were placed strategically along the paths, to allow one to sit and admire the gorgeous setting.

"This is absolutely beautiful, Tony." Ziva breathed. "I cannot imagine what it takes to keep it looking like this, though."

Tony looked around. "That would be the gardeners, my dear. Hey, what's this?" Tony had come to a gate. Opening it up, they entered a separate walled garden, with gentle pools and flowers.

"Our own 'Secret Garden'." Ziva marveled, referring to the childhood book she had read.

Tony let Karina out of her stroller and let her walk around. She was astonished and thrilled by the fountains, clapping when water spewed out.

"Maybe we should get a fountain at home. It will entertain her for hours." Tony quipped.

"Only if you take care of it." Ziva said with humor. They continued exploring outside, finding a large expanse of grounds and their own pond. Continuing on, they found the stables and tack room and the tennis court.

Tony sat on one of the many benches and thought quietly about all he had seen. He looked at Ziva, his eyes dark with emotion. "I don't remember any of this stuff. I guess I was too young." He seemed disappointed in himself that he couldn't recall the details of his visit so long ago.

Ziva took his hand. "It is ok, Tony. You are seeing it now, yes? And now you can make new memories."

Tony kissed her hand. Checking his watch, he got up reluctantly. "I guess we better head back to the house and start getting ready." Ziva agreed and began pushing Jack in the direction they had come.

They decided to go to the front of the house and get a good look at the gardens there, and then entered the main foyer. Tony struggled to get Karina out of her stroller as Ziva took Jack into the formal sitting room to the left.

Again, she admired the furnishing and décor, caressing the Queen Anne side tables and gilt mirror over the large fireplace.

"Ziva?" Tony voice had a strange quality to it: not quite upset, but unnerved perhaps. Ziva quickly turned on her heel and searched for him.

"Where are you, Tony?" Ziva called out in concern over his behavior.

"In here." Again, his voice was strained. Ziva went into the Library and immediately to his side. Touching his arm, she got his attention.

"Tony, what is wrong?" Ziva asked urgently.

Tony nodded toward the fireplace. Ziva followed his gaze and gasped. Hanging over the fireplace was a portrait; a beautiful woman, with her handsome husband and adorable three year old son. Ziva immediately recognized Tony's father as the man, so she knew the woman was his mother and the child was Tony.

"Oh, Tony…" Ziva murmured as she stepped closer to examine the painting. She turned to him, sad to see his face so pale. To him, it must have been like coming face to face with a ghost.

"It is a beautiful painting, Tony. And a beautiful legacy." She turned back to study the painting. "Karina looks like you."

Tony woke up at that, and really looked at the painting for the first time. "Yeah, I guess. Except for the nose." He looked at his mother, trying to keep his emotions under control.

"I told you she was beautiful." Ziva murmured, reminding him of when he had shown her the last photo he had with his mother. "You have her eyes."

Tony started to cry at that; not sobbing, but he could no longer hold back the moisture that wanted to spill from his eyes. Ziva hugged him tightly, talking to him soothingly.

Karina was confused and upset by Tony's reaction. "Daddy boo-boo?" She asked, unsure of what was happening at the moment.

Tony looked at his daughter, startled and sad he had upset her. He kissed her softly and hugged her. "No, Punkin. Happy tears, happy tears." He looked at Ziva and kissed her as well.

"I'm ok." He said simply.

"Are you sure? We can delay heading over so you can get gather yourself." Ziva looked doubtful.

Tony shrugged. "I'm as gathered as I'm going to get. It was a shock, that's all. After a nice shower, I'll be good as new. Promise." He kissed her again.

Together, the little family headed back upstairs, to get ready for their first evening with Tony's family.

_**Sorry it's a little short, but I wanted to get something out this weekend. Thank you for the lovely thoughts and PM's encouraging me to continue writing. As I said, I will definitely finish this story. A lot will depend on how this one ends. I am sure I will not be done before the Season 11 premiere, so I will be around for a while!**_


	28. Chapter 28

Clearly I don't own NCIS or the characters: Cote would be coming back if I did! By the way, I was admonished for not giving a "spoiler alert" when I posted in one of my chapters about Cote leaving. Since it was all over the news and the internet, I did not see the need. Also, there were multiple Fanfic authors that posted the same news in their new story descriptions as tons came out on the day of the announcement. If you feel like things have been ruined for you, I am truly sorry.

_**Tony looked at his daughter, startled and sad he had upset her. He kissed her softly and hugged her. "No, Punkin. Happy tears, happy tears." He looked at Ziva and kissed her as well.**_

"_**I'm ok." He said simply.**_

"_**Are you sure? We can delay heading over so you can gather yourself." Ziva looked doubtful.**_

_**Tony shrugged. "I'm as gathered as I'm going to get. It was a shock, that's all. After a nice shower, I'll be good as new. Promise." He kissed her again.**_

_**Together, the little family headed back upstairs, to get ready for their first evening with Tony's family.**_

Chapter Twenty-Eight: "Revelations"

**Cheltenham, Gloucester, UK**

Ziva looked through her clothes, trying to decide what would be appropriate for a "casual" family dinner in a mansion. She chuckled to herself: she had caught Tony's expression when she had inquired of Crispian about the dress code. She knew _exactly_ what he had been thinking at the time, and she would be lying to herself if the same thought hadn't crossed her mind.

"Marriage and babies are making me soft, Karina." Ziva retorted to her daughter. Karina had been watching her mother look through her things, while she was trying to walk in a pair of her high heels.

Karina loved to "dress up". She didn't care if the item of clothing belonged to Ziva or Tony, as long as it was grown up and not hers. One time, they caught her wearing Tony's boxers. They weren't sure how she got her hands on them, and the resulting photo sent peals of laughter through the team. Of'course, she was wearing them on her head as she didn't have the coordination yet to actually dress herself, but the desire and intent were there.

But most of all, Karina loved shoes, especially high heels. Ziva watched her in amusement as she tried to navigate wearing the stilettos.

"Be careful, Sweetness. You do not want to fall." Ziva warned her. Karina wavered a bit on her feet, able to only take a few tentative steps. She sat hard on her bottom, looked shocked, then started to laugh and clap her hands.

"Hey, you guys ready?" Tony came into the bedroom with Jack. He looked at Karina sitting on the floor. "Are you wearing Mommy's shoes again?" He asked, smiling indulgently at his daughter.

Karina nodded her head up and down. "Mommy mad."

Tony looked surprised and Ziva looked at Karina. "I think she means I am having a difficult time figuring out what to wear." She eyed Tony critically, taking in his tailored slacks, open necked Polo shirt and jacket.

"You look very nice, Tony." Ziva smiled.

Tony bowed his thanks. "You look pretty good yourself, but I don't think you should just wear your bra and undies."

Ziva punched him lightly in the arm. "Very funny. I do not know what to wear. This is so ridiculous! It is just a dinner." Ziva started going through her clothes again.

Tony shook his head. "Cris said it was casual, and we should dress warm. Why don't you wear some nice pants?"

Ziva sighed. "Yes, I suppose you are right. A dress would not be appropriate considering the weather. Here, how about this?"

Ziva held out a pair of cream colored form-fitting slacks. Tony nodded. "I like those. Wear your green silk shirt; that always looks great on you."

Ziva smiled, taking out the shirt. After one last look, she selected a jacket of green and blue tweed. A pair of green heels completed the ensemble.

Ziva added a matching bracelet and necklace of gold circles. "Ok, I am ready now." She looked in surprise at an object in Tony's hand. "What is that?" She asked.

Tony held up the item. "Why are you bringing Tim's new book?" Ziva asked, confused.

Tony grinned. "Cris said Phoebe was a big fan of Thom E. Gemcity and couldn't wait for his newest book to come out. I told him I would bring her an autographed first edition, since it won't sell in England until next year."

Ziva smiled at Tony. "Did you tell him that the stories are based on us?" She gathered up Karina and proceeded downstairs. Tony grinned, thinking how gorgeous Ziva looked.

"Nope. I am going to see if they can figure it out for themselves."

They decided to bring bedding to put Jack down as it would be a late night. They figured there would be some place Karina could sleep if she conked out as well. But she was so excited and wound up after her nap that they both decided she would probably be awake for hours.

They got into the SUV and headed back in the direction they had previously come, and arrived at Ashleigh Manor as the sun was setting.

Ziva breathed in the night's scents. "It is breathtaking, Tony." The mansion was alit with strategically place spot lights and the fountain was dancing its own intricate choreography.

Tony smiled as the memories of this place came back full force. "Now _this_ I remember. Probably because I really only remember the parties." He looked at Ziva with a gleam in his eye.

Ziva snorted and shook her head. "Of'course you do, Tony. Come here, Karina. We are going to meet your cousins." Karina looked surprised at this announcement. _Were Jamie, Lizzie, Belle and Will going to be here too?_

Ziva shrewdly read her mind. "No, Sweetness. Not those cousins. Your _new_ cousins. You will see." Karina looked at Jack and jabbered at him.

"I guess she just passed on the news." Tony quipped lightly.

Before they reached the entrance, the massive doors swung open and Crispian stood at the entrance. "Welcome, welcome! Phoebe and the girls are most anxious to meet you. Please come in. May I help with anything?"

Tony smiled and shook his head. "We're good, Cris. Thanks." He let Ziva and Karina go in first, and then he followed with Jack.

Cris gave Ziva and Karina kisses. "We are in the back. If you will follow me…" The little family followed the Master of the House as he guided them through the maze of rooms.

They finally came to a huge open area that was clearly a reception room and proceeded outside onto a beautiful terrace. The evening was cool, but strategically placed heaters kept the area quite comfortable.

Two young girls popped out of their seats and ran to the guests. They stopped short of running into them, composed themselves and very correctly began introductions.

"We are so very pleased to meet you. I am Sophia Paddington and this is my sister Victoria." Sophia dropped a slight curtsy and Victoria tried to emulate her older sister.

Tony and Ziva glanced sideways at each other, confused and slightly concerned at such formality. Cris suddenly clapped. "Very good, my sweets. You can be your monstrous selves now."

The girls jumped up and down and giggled, taking Tony and Ziva's hands and leading them to some seating. "Daddy makes us practice every time we have visitors. But you aren't visitors; you're family, aren't you? I don't go by Sophia. That's rather stuffy don't you think? I am really Sophie and Victoria is Tori. Victoria is such a grand name for such a little person." Sophie wrinkled her nose and took a deep breath.

Ziva's eyes were huge as Sophie continued her monologue. "I am eight years old and Tori is only four years old. She tries very hard to curtsy, but she hasn't learned it correctly yet. Can you curtsy?"

Ziva realized that Sophie was directing the question at her. She smiled at the little blonde girl, with the same green eyes as Tony. "Actually, Sophie I can. But I do not have much occasion to practice it."

Sophie's eyes widened. "You do?" She had clearly expected Ziva to say she had no idea how to curtsy. Sophie was slightly disappointed as she had hoped to teach her.

"That's enough questions, my oldest and most difficult child." Cris fondly kissed Sophie's head. "All will be revealed in due time."

Sophie obediently sat down in her chair, her eyes glued to Ziva and Karina. Phoebe finally came forward. "Well, we had to let that all get out, didn't we?" She chuckled at her daughter's enthusiasm.

"Sophie is taking classes in etiquette. She is old enough to make an appearance at some of our 'grander' evenings. Clearly, she has just begun." She smiled, her voice laced with humor. "We let her 'practice' at our informal get-togethers. I hope you don't mind being her guinea pigs, as it were."

Phoebe greeted both Tony and Ziva with cheek kisses, and then turned her attention to the babies. "What a beauty you are, Karina!" Phoebe stroked her curls. Karina hid her head in Ziva's shoulder, unsure who this person was and what she was saying as she was confused by the accent.

Phoebe looked at Ziva and smiled. "A bit shy? She is probably overwhelmed by all of these changes. We won't push you, little one." She turned to Jack. "And this is young Master Jack. Oh, you have a smile for me. What a handsome boy you are."

Jack was too young to have stranger anxiety and quickly took to Phoebe. Tony gave him a kiss. "He appreciates woman." He deadpanned.

Everyone laughed at that and they all took their seats. Tori stared intently at the babies, wanting to touch them but not wanting to scare Karina. Ziva sensed her anxious desire and put Karina down. "She will eventually come to you, Tori. Give her time."

"Oh, I almost forgot." Tony handed Phoebe the book.

Her eyes lit up. "Tony! This is absolutely brilliant! How did you know?" She opened the cover. "It is signed!" She looked at him.

"Do you know him, or did you just go to a book signing?" She looked eyed Tony intently.

Tony squirmed a bit, not wanting to reveal Tim's true identity, but also not wanting to lie. Ziva smirked at him, giving him an "I told you so" expression.

Tony shrugged. "He's a friend." He temporized. Phoebe regarded him curiously but quickly flipped to the back cover of the book.

"Deep Six: Too Close to Home. Hunter Dowling was just a grieving father, having lost his only son in a freak accident aboard a Navy warship. Enough time had passed for him to come to terms with this tragedy…or had it? Suspicious fires on several ships point to sabotage, but who was the culprit? Was it terrorists or something closer to home?"

"Follow Agents L.J. Tibbs, McGregor, Tommy, Lisa and Amy as they race against time to stop this menace and prevent more deaths, ultimately ending up in a fight for their own lives." Phoebe read the description out loud, getting excited. She looked at Tony. "Wasn't there an explosion at your job a few years ago?"

Tony looked everywhere but at her. She gasped softly. "Tony-Ziva; Tommy-Lisa. Don't tell me these books are actually about you?" She looked at Ziva for confirmation.

Ziva shifted in her seat. "Very loosely based. This is not common knowledge." She looked at Tony, feeling guilty for letting the cat out of the bag.

"That is so exciting!" Phoebe marveled. She looked at the book with renewed interest. "Now I will need to re-read the other two books." She looked sharply at Ziva. "How loosely-based? Lisa is supposed to be…"

Tony sighed. "Yeah, we know. "Former Mossad Assassin." Phoebe and Cris' eyes got large and focused on Ziva.

"Former Mossad Agent, with _former_ being the operative word." She didn't feel the need to qualify her statement or explain any further. If they wanted to "Google" Mossad and find out what the organization was about, then that was their prerogative.

"I'm intrigued, but it can wait for another day." Phoebe announced. There was an awkward silence. Tori looked at Ziva with big eyes, and then focused back on Karina. Karina toddled about, exploring the terrace. She found a stone that fascinated her and spent some time examining that. Tori couldn't stand it any longer and went over to her and started looking at the stone with her.

Karina babbled something at lightning speed to her, which Tori somehow understood. She nodded sagely and pointed out other things in the stone.

The adults shook their heads. "Children." Sophie sighed in happy amazement, breaking the spell and bringing everyone back to the here and now.

**NCIS**

Abby rubbed her eyes, feeling the strain of looking at too many slides. She had just returned from maternity leave two weeks prior, and now she was wishing she had extended it longer than she already had.

Having twins was a mixed blessing: the babies were twice as much fun, but also twice the work. Just feeding those two had been a full-time job the first month of their lives. Now almost four months old, Will and Belle had settled into a manageable schedule. Thankfully, they were sleeping through the night, so when she and Tim fell into an exhaustive sleep, at least it was un-interrupted if not a full eight hours.

Mimi had tried to get her to cut back on her hours, and at first she had been part-time. But this new case was shaping up to one that tried everyone's patience and energy. Lily tried to put her foot down and make Abby leave at a reasonable time, but Abby had ignored her as she continued to make slides.

Finally, Gibbs and Tim came down and talked some sense into her. "Abbs, I know how dedicated you are to your job, but your first priority is Will and Belle. The lab is in good hands and you are no good to anyone if you are exhausted and get sick. Don't fight me on this, please." Tim was firm with his wife.

Abby was at first defiant, but finally slumped in defeat to the inevitable. Once she was reunited with her children, the lab was forgotten and she became "Mommy" again. Gibbs also asked her to check on Mimi, so she felt she had a "job" to do.

Back the next day, Abby was glad she had been talked into going home. She was instantly calmed and relaxed being with her babies, comforted by their touch. She had a bad feeling about this case, beyond the usual disgust at the crime itself.

Tim had not come home the night before and she was worried him. She dropped Will and Belle off at the daycare and proceeded directly to the Bullpen. She found Tim hard at work, his eyes puffy from the lack of sleep.

She put her arms around him and handed him a container. She put a similar container on each of the other desks. Inside was breakfast for the team, which they all immediately gobbled down. Abby wrinkled her nose in distaste. "It would have been better if it was warm, you know."

Tim kissed his wife. "Thank you, Abbs. It was delicious." Abby eyed them all.

"Did any of you get some sleep last night?" She demanded.

Gibbs rolled his eyes at Abby's take charge tone. "We each got some rack time, Abby. We're good to go."

Abby squinted her eyes at him. "Don't you say things you think I want to hear, Gibbs."

Tim chuckled tiredly. "No, Abby, we really did get some shut-eye. Not a full night obviously. We took turns. We're ok."

Abby looked hard at him, but nodded. "I got some pictures last night from Tony and Ziva. I'll show them to you later." She kissed her husband and practically ran to the elevator.

She was not surprised to see Lily and Ellie hard at work. "Did either of you leave last night?" She demanded.

Lily blushed. "Ellie went home. Dr. Mallard insisted on taking her home. He left Jimmy in charge." This time, Ellie Black blushed. Abby smiled at this development.

She always felt that Ducky and Ellie had a connection. Perhaps it was more than she had originally thought? Abby had always wondered at Ducky's life-long bachelorhood, but came to understand that he had put his mother ahead of his own personal desires.

His mother had died four years ago, allowing him to exercise a new freedom. That had involved him selling the family home. He had a few dalliances, including the disastrous relationship with Mary. He kept to himself after that unfortunate episode, his confidence at reading people shaken.

Abby was pleased to see that he had overcome his hesitation and had started seeking out companionship again. She didn't really care where it ended up, as long as Ducky was happy and he didn't get hurt.

She put her things away, and asked for an update. Lily filled her in on what results had come back. Abby frowned as she compared the results for one of the victims with his medical history from the Navy.

"Lily, according to the medical records we got on Zelner, his blood type is O Positive. We got A Positive on our results." Lily's eyes bugged out.

"Do you think I made a mistake?" She asked hesitantly. Abby shook her head.

"No, I think we're being played with. When will that DNA analysis come back?"

Ellie looked up. "Should have results in an hour. What are you thinking, Abby?"

Abby shook her head. "Not yet. I don't want to jinx things. And I hope I am wrong."

An hour later, Abby was reading the DNA analysis from the body of MSgt. Gabriel Zelner. "This is bad. This is really bad." She picked up her phone and dialed quickly.

"Timmy? We have a problem!"

_**Thanks as usual for the reviews, faves and follows. Life is slowly getting back to normal. May or may not start up **__**Promonitions **__**again. What little I have heard about the premiere I don't like and don't want to write about. Oh, well.**_


	29. Chapter 29

_**Ellie looked up. "Should have results in an hour. What are you thinking, Abby?"**_

_**Abby shook her head. "Not yet. I don't want to jinx things. And I hope I am wrong."**_

_**An hour later, Abby was reading the DNA analysis from the body of MSgt. Gabriel Zelner. "This is bad. This is really bad." She picked up her phone and dialed quickly.**_

"_**Timmy? We have a problem!"**_

**I own nothing except my own characters, and I don't own "Malcolm Reynolds". If you are not a "Browncoat" you will not get the reference.**

Chapter Twenty-Nine: "Shocking Developments"

**Cheltenham, Gloucester, UK**

Tony and Ziva drifted lazily in the heated pool, hands tightly clasped. The evening at the main house had been lovely. Tony was pleased that Cris had not ended up being all stuffy and "proper" like his Uncle Clive.

His little family was charming and completely normal. Ziva had been relieved as well, not wanting the evening to be awkward.

At one point, they realized that Sophie, Tori and Karina were all missing. Tony and Ziva weren't too concerned, but they proceeded to go on a scavenger hunt to find their absent daughter. The girls were all in the upstairs nursery, a large room set between the girls' bedrooms as a communal play room and dining room when the adults had guests for a formal dinner.

Karina glued herself to Tori's side and found a new playmate. They seemed to be able communicate and even Sophie seemed to grasp what Karina was saying.

The girls put Karina in Tori's play stroller that she had for her dolls. Karina was still small enough to fit inside. Tony and Ziva found their daughter looking adoringly up at Tori, all covered up in a little blanket with a bonnet on her head inside the pram.

Ziva stifled a laugh with her hand, as Tony looked confused. "Why would she want to get in there?" He whispered to Ziva, who just shook her head.

"Look! Look!" Tori grabbed Ziva's hand. "Karina is my little baby!" Tori was beaming; her little dimples flashing.

"I see that, Tori." Ziva bent over to look at Karina, who was giggling and clapping her hands. "Are you pretending to be a baby, Karina?"

Karina nodded her head. "Baby!" She giggled again. Sophie smoothed the blanket.

"She is very well-behaved, for a child her age." She spoke with authority. Tony rolled his eyes, but didn't contradict her. They had some difficulty getting Karina out of the contraption, and then she wanted to stay and play. Tony promised her she would see her cousins soon and picked her up.

"Say bye-bye to Sophie and Tori, Punkin." Tony told her. Karina waved her little hand to her new friends.

"Bye-bye Sopie, bye-bye Toey." The little girls giggled at their names, but waved back.

Now back at "their" place, Karina and Jack were tucked safely into their beds and sound asleep. It wasn't too late, so Tony and Ziva headed down to the pool to relax and refresh.

"This is just perfect." Ziva murmured. "I wish we had room for a pool, but then I would constantly worry about the kids."

Tony rolled onto his stomach and pulled Ziva closer to him. "Yeah, and I don't think I could get Gibbs to come over and clean it for me."

Ziva glared at him. "You must stop expecting Gibbs to take care of all of your projects for you. Especially when their baby comes. I think we may not see Gibbs the Handy-Man for a long while."

Tony burst out in laughter. "I like that. 'Gibbs the Handy-Man'. I'm sure Mimi finds him very handy."

Ziva splashed him. "You are a child, Tony." She started to swim away from him, but he quickly caught up and grabbed her waist. He reached his hand up and untied her bikini top at her neck.

"Oops!" He grinned, as Ziva's bathing suit top came undone, exposing her breasts.

"Tony!" She covered her chest and looked around. Tony gathered her into a hug and chuckled.

"Who do you think is going to see you? We're the only ones here."

Ziva looked into Tony's eyes. "You planned this, didn't you?"

"Yes. I. Did." Tony replied unapologetically. He grasped one of the strings holding her bikini bottom together and pulled.

"Tony!" Ziva cried out again. She was now completely naked; her bikini bobbing gently in the slight waves their body movement was creating.

"Yes?" He asked, his voice husky and wanting. Ziva's eyes softened as she tightened her grip on his shoulders.

"Well then, in that case…" Ziva yanked down Tony's swimming trunks. She knew he wouldn't have a problem with her maneuver, and she wasn't disappointed. Tony kicked his legs out of the trunks and soon they were floating near Ziva's bikini.

He captured her lips suddenly, feeling the passion course through his veins. Being together like this, alone, naked; in a swimming pool: it was having a very strong effect on his libido.

He almost asked Ziva if she had ever made love in a pool before, but then decided he didn't want to know. He wasn't jealous of any previous attachments she may have had prior to their relationship, but that didn't mean he wanted intimate details either.

Unfortunately, Ziva knew most of the intimate details of Tony's previous liaisons, because he would boast and brag ad nauseum. How he wished he had kept his mouth shut all those years ago.

At first, he was concerned that Ziva wouldn't think that he was living up to what Tony considered his "legend" and reputation. He was relieved and gratified that Ziva had basically ignored him. He always knew intellectually that what he was experiencing was not "love", but it wasn't until he and Ziva finally came together did he truly understand love on an emotional level.

As they lay together later in their bed, sated and exhausted, Tony sighed contentedly and glanced around the opulent room, his eyes finally resting on the slumbering form of his wife.

He softy brushed Ziva's cheek, being careful to not wake her. He tried to imagine his life over two and a half years ago and found he couldn't. Oh, he remembered all of the events that happened; his memory wasn't gone after all. But the life he lived, if you wanted to call it "living", that was a distant blot on his map of existence. He truly couldn't imagine his life except the one he was seeing now, the life he was living now.

He gently kissed Ziva's cheek and settled back; sleep finally capturing his senses, but not the smile on his face.

**NCIS**

McGee and Gibbs looked at Abby with concern. "What a minute." Tim was stunned by what Abby had just revealed. "This guy in the morgue, MSgt Gabriel Zelner, is not…?"

"Is **not **MSgt Gabriel Zelner. Stay with me, Tim." Abby turned to her monitor. "The DNA results were not a match for our victim, so the dog tags don't belong to him. This brings up the possibility that _none _of our victims are the same person as the tags they are wearing."

McGee and Gibbs looked at each other. "Why would the killer misidentify the victims? And how did he get the dog tags of these people if they don't belong to them?" Tim rubbed his neck. "That's assuming the killer is one person."

"Exactly. Fortunately, for us anyway, the actual victim is in our database. Meet one Capt. Malcolm Reynolds." Abby pulled up his picture and stats.

Gibbs and McGee moved to the large plasma. Tim took a deep breath. "He was in same unit initially as Zelner, and then…he goes off the grid just as the others do." He turned to Gibbs. "This is your area of expertise. What does this sound like to you? Black Ops? A secret military unit to do…what?"

Gibbs had been getting a bad feeling ever since this case started. The sudden cessation of their activities made alarm bells go off in his head. And now the revelation that one of the victims is not really who they thought he was…?

"Where's Burley and Dorneget?" Gibbs asked McGee. McGee looked stricken.

"I sent them to check out Zelner's place." He pulled out his cell phone.

"Abby, run the DNA on the other victims as well. We need to know who we really have in our morgue."

"Already on it, oh intrepid Leader!" Abby gave her husband a quick kiss.

**Annandale, Virginia**

Stan and Dornie pulled up in front of the small house, noting it was well-kempt. "I wonder who is cutting the front lawn?" Stan said, looking up and down the quiet street.

"Maybe he had a lawn service?" Ned suggested. Stan gave him a look that said _"I don't think so"_, and pulled out his service weapon. Dornie looked startled and pulled his weapon out as well.

"Eyes and ears open, Dornie. Follow my lead." Stan cautiously approached the front door. He tried the knob and found it locked. Stan peered inside the front windows.

"Ok, we stay together until we know the place is secured, got that?"

"Yes, sir! I mean, got it!" Dornie looked nervous. Stan nodded at him reassuringly. As a unit, they performed a perimeter search of the exterior of the house. Stan opened a shed door and trained his weapon.

"Clear." He said to Dorneget. He turned back to the house, approaching the small deck and sliding doors. He gave Dornie a surprised look when he realized the slider was unlocked.

"Federal Agents!" Stan called out, stepping quickly inside and whipping his weapon around. He pointed to his eyes and then directed Dornie to go around, while Stan went the other way. One by one, they called out "Clear!" as they checked each room and closet.

Stan stood in the middle of the living room. "Ok. No one's home. Let's take a look around." Stan looked through the meager furnishings, trying to locate something personal that belonged to the victim. The home was surprisingly devoid of personal effects. No pictures, no dust collecting knick knacks…

"Agent Burley? I don't think he was living here when he died. There aren't any clothes in the closet and the refrigerator is empty." Dornie came around the corner.

Stan rubbed his jaw, frustrated. "Maybe he was killed here and the killer cleaned up? But why would he take all of his belongings and risk the possibility of getting caught?" This wasn't adding up.

"Should we spray with Luminol?" Dornie looked at the floor and walls, as if blood would magically appear on command. Stan sighed.

"I'll get it." Stan removed his gloves and headed for the car. Dornie went back into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. He loved working with Stan. He was learning so much from all of them, but Stan was particularly patient with him.

He smiled, wondering how Tony and Ziva were doing. He liked Tony being the Team Leader. Gibbs was just too damn scary…

He looked up as he heard footsteps. "That was quick…" Dornie stopped as he stared into the barrel of a gun. He looked at the man quizzically.

"Don't make any sudden movements, and everything will be just fine." The stranger said.

Stan closed the trunk of the car, and hoisted the evidence bag. _"Damn"_, he said as his phone rang. Putting his load back down, he pulled out his cell.

"Yeah, Burley."

"Stan, are you at the house?" Tim asked his Agent, trying to keep the concern out of his voice.

Stan frowned. "Well, yeah McGee. Why? Is there a problem?"

McGee took a deep breath. "Our first victim is not, repeat not Gabriel Zelner."

Stan looked at the house. "Then who in the hell is he? And where's Zelner? Is he one of the other bodies?"

Tim's lips were in a thin line. "It's possible, but we haven't gotten all of the DNA results yet. In the meantime, step back. We need to surveille the house if we find out Zelner is possibly still alive."

"I don't know, McGee. Whoever was living here has definitely moved out. The place…" Just then a gun shot rang out. "Shit!" Stan shouted, breaking into a run.

"Stan? Stan! Talk to me!" Tim demanded. He could here Stan's pounding steps as he was running, his breath ragged.

"Dorneget!" Stan shouted as he approached the house.

"Agent Burley! Report!" Tim shouted.

"Single gunshot, from inside the house. Dorneget's inside." Stan panted into his phone.

"Where are you?" Tim asked.

"I went back to the car to get the evidence processing kit. The house was clear…" Stan's stomach lurched. _"Had he missed something?"_

**Cheltenham, Gloucester, UK**

Tony was sitting in the passenger seat of the Range Rover, as Cris drove him around the estate. He had insisted on giving Tony a complete accounting of the holdings and assets of Ashleigh Manor.

Tony was surprised but followed Crispin's lead. He wasn't sure why he needed to know anything about the Manor other than what he owned, but hey, his cousin could do what he wanted.

The estate encompassed over 200 acres of rolling hills and farm land. "We raise sheep and sell the wool. The little buggers also keep the grass nice and trim." Tony laughed at his cousin.

"I don't suppose you have a pig that keeps them in line, do you?" Tony quipped. Cris shook his head.

"No, although I must say that my girls tried very, very hard to make _that_ a reality." Cris mused. He pulled the car over near a group of trees and got out. Tony followed suit and stood with him as they gazed across the horizon.

"It's amazing, Cris." Tony murmured.

Cris sighed. "Yes, I think so. And I am glad you think so as well." He turned to Tony. "Anthony, you are my heir."

Tony smiled at his cousin's joke, but lost his smile when he realized the Crispin was serious.

"But…wait. What do you mean?" Tony was now confused.

Cris held out his hands. "I have no sons. I was the only son of my father, and you are the only other male descended from our grandfather. It's simple, really."

"No, it's not simple Crispin. You and Phoebe could have a son someday, you could…" He stopped as he saw Cris shaking his head.

"Our family is complete, Tony. It is just the four of us. Tony…" He put his hands on his shoulders. "Do not be too concerned about all of this. I am planning on living a very long life, and I certainly plan to outlive my older cousin." Tony chuckled at that, relaxing somewhat.

"Then what's all this about?" He searched Cris' face, wondering what in the hell was up with him.

"You have a son, Tony. Jack will inherit all of this one day."

Tony stood still, not sure he had heard him correctly. "My son…"

"Your son will one day be Baron Paddington, Lord of Ashleigh Manor."

Tony felt his knees go weak. Jack? A Baron? _He's just a baby!_ Tony thought.

"Uh…"

Cris patted his arm. "Yes, I know. I bit of a shock, yes? But your son's future is secure, Tony. Be glad for that."

"_But what if this isn't the future he wants?"_ Tony thought to himself. Instead, he just nodded, not trusting himself to speak at the moment. They got back in the car and Cris chatted about the coming weekend, when he would have the grand soiree that Tony now realized would be his and Ziva's introduction as the heirs.

**Annandale, Virginia**

Stan didn't hear anything, which made him nervous. He moved inside and whipped his head around, going from room to room. He finally came to the kitchen and stopped.

On the floor was Dorneget's badge and cell phone. Dorneget was nowhere to be seen. Stan moved quickly to the back yard, but saw no evidence of the junior agent.

"Dammit!" Stan yelled. He pulled up his phone.

"He's gone. Dorneget's gone."

_**Oh dear! Sorry this one's quite a bit shorter than usual, but I wanted to get it out. I am so excited! Brian Dietzen answered not one, but two of my tweets! Thanks to my new "Life" readers, so glad you are along for the ride. Thanks as always for your thoughtful and amazing reviews.**_


	30. Chapter 30

_**On the floor was Dorneget's badge and cell phone. Dorneget was nowhere to be seen. Stan moved quickly to the back yard, but saw no evidence of the junior agent.**_

"_**Dammit!" Stan yelled. He pulled up his phone.**_

"_**He's gone. Dorneget's gone."**_

Chapter Thirty: "Keeping Secrets"

**Cheltenham, Gloucester, UK**

"What?" Ziva asked, sure she had misheard what Tony had just told her.

Tony shook his head. "All of this will be Jack's someday. Cris told me this afternoon." Ziva sat quietly on the chintz sofa, considering the ramifications of this unexpected news.

"I am not sure how I feel about this, Tony. I would like our children to have a choice about their futures." Ziva leaned forward, twisting her hands together.

Tony put his arm around her. "Hey, I don't think anything is set in stone. So he inherits a title and shit-load of money. I don't think there is any law that says he must live in this house for the rest of his life."

Ziva looked at him unconvinced. "Are you sure? Do you understand inheritance rights here? Because _I_ do not."

"Look, we don't need to worry about it right now, and chances are Jack will be an adult when anything happens. He can make his own decision about what he wants to do, right?" He kissed her temple and stroked her arm. Tony was just as incredulous as Ziva was about all of this but he saw no reason to overreact.

"Besides, we would have left them this house anyway. So now, Karina will get this place." Tony pulled her back with him into the sofa.

"And what if we have another child? What will he or she get? A pony?" Ziva sighed heavily, plucking at the pillow she was holding.

Tony looked at Ziva, not sure if he should be alarmed or amused. "Baby talk already? I thought you wanted to wait?"

Ziva's eyes bugged out, and then she chuckled. "Oh, don't get too excited, my furry bear. I am not ready to expand my waistline just yet. I was only speaking about the future." She shook her head.

"Well then, the rest of our children will get _this_ house. Hey, like I said. This is _way_ in the future so let's not get too crazed about it, ok? Oh, and I almost forgot. The big to-do is Saturday night." Tony smiled knowingly.

Ziva frowned. "You mean they are actually having a prom for us?"

Tony threw his head back and laughed. "A prom? Oh, Ziva that is priceless. A prom…" Tony had to wipe the laughter tears from his eyes.

Ziva batted at his hand. "Do not laugh at me! Tony, I mean it!"

Tony grabbed her hand. "Or what?" He stared at her mouth. Ziva's lips twitched in amusement.

"Hmmm, I must think of an appropriate punishment. In the meantime, explain this…thing we must go to." Ziva folded her arms in front of her.

Tony continued to chuckle. "It's a reception: there is a formal dinner and then dancing and hob-knobbing with the landed gentry. I think we are being presented as the heirs-apparent."

Ziva considered that. "And this is a dressy affair, yes?"

Tony grinned. "Oh,_ very_ dressy." Tony wagged his eyebrows up and down.

"Hmm. Well then, that explains Phoebe telling me we are going to London tomorrow to get gowns." Ziva mused.

"Did she now? Well, that should be…expensive." Tony looked appropriately horrified.

Ziva glared at him. "Two minutes ago you were telling me that our son will be a Baron. Now you are whining about a dress?"

Tony smiled at his own antics. "I guess you're right. Get something spectacular." He kissed her softly.

Ziva smiled back. "I will take Phoebe's lead on this. I want to be…dress appropriate."

Tony thought about the surprise he had for Ziva and couldn't wait for her reaction. When his father presented his mother's legacy to Tony, among the expensive jewelry was a tiara. Sr. explained she had inherited it as the daughter of a Baron and it was a family heirloom. If Ziva was fussing about a gown, wait until she sees this!

**NCIS**

Tim and Gibbs carefully worked the scene with Stan. A missing Agent trumped what else they were working on, even though it was related. Tim's first priority was getting a BOLO out for both Dorneget and the elusive Zelner. Since he was not the body in the morgue, the current line of thought now was that he was alive, he was possibly the murderer and he had taken a Federal Agent.

McGee called Fornell to bring him in. Dorneget was NCIS, but this was also a missing person's case. He felt they needed all of the resources they could get.

The good news was there didn't appear to be a struggle: Dorneget either went with his captor relatively unscathed; or he had been surprised and subdued with no bloodshed. Tim was thankful for any small mercies and fervently hoped any "subduing" was of the minimal kind.

Stan was beating himself up. "I shouldn't have left him, McGee. Never leave your partner. I told him that _myself,_ and then I go do it. Dammit!"

McGee understood Stan's anger at himself, but needed him to focus. "Walk me through everything, Stan. Tell me what I don't know."

Stan cracked his neck. "There's not much to tell. We secured the house- it's as you see it, empty and unlived in. We considered that perhaps Zelner may have been killed here, so I went back to the car to get the scene processing kit. We were going to spray Luminal for blood trace."

McGee nodded, agreeing with his assessment of the situation. "I would have done the same thing, and I'm sure Tony would have as well. Don't beat yourself up over this, I need you to focus." Stan nodded, impressed with Tim's command of the situation.

Inside however, Tim was quaking. He wished Tony was handling this and not him. Tim was confident in his abilities, but a missing Agent was a terrible blow and could rapidly go south. He wondered if he should call Tony; if nothing else to let him know one of his Agents was in trouble.

But he quickly decided that it would serve no useful purpose: it wouldn't help find Dorneget and Tony would insist on coming back. No, he wasn't going to mess up the first real vacation Tony and his family had taken, no matter the reason.

"What do we have on Zelner? Tim asked the team.

"Twenty-eight, unmarried; enlisted at age eighteen." Gibbs flipped through his pad. "Was assigned to MARSOC at Camp Lejeune, deployed to Afghanistan. So far I haven't gotten any details on any missions, all classified." Gibbs looked around. "The other bodies, well at least their dog-tags; those men all served together."

Tim digested that bit of news. "So what are you thinking, Gibbs? Retaliation?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Not enough info, McGee. It could be anything. It could be a coincidence, but you know how I feel about those. It could be that Zelner hated the guys he served with." Gibbs was disgusted.

Gibbs eyed Tim closely. "McGee." He spoke quietly.

Tim froze and looked at Gibbs, wondering if he was going to suggest that he take over. Honestly, he wouldn't blame him; he did have a lot more experience than he did and…

"Don't even think about calling DiNozzo. You're in charge. You can handle it." Gibbs put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a small squeeze, then walked to the car.

Tim smiled at the boost of confidence Gibbs had just given him, but his smile wavered as he considered what was ahead.

**Cheltenham, Gloucester, UK**

Tony pursed his lips as he read the text from Abby. It was bright, cheerful and total nonsense. **"**Honey, have you heard from anyone lately?"

Ziva looked up at him in surprise. "Honey" was not something Tony normally used unless he was bothered or worried about something. Karina was toddling around the garden while Jack sat on Ziva's lap. She picked a pretty flower and gave it to Ziva.

"Pwetty." She announced. Ziva kissed her daughter and thanked her.

"Yes, my sweetness, it is very pretty." She considered Tony's question.

"I got a text from Mimi last night letting me know; well, _we_ know; that she was doing well and Gibbs was behaving himself. Why? Are you worried about something?" Ziva frowned.

Tony shrugged and looked at her. "I can't put my finger on it. I got this really weird text from Abby. Just rambling nonsense, and then she ends by saying 'everything's fine, no need to worry about us'. If that isn't a reason to worry, I don't know what is." Tony scratched his head. "Do you think something is going on at work?"

Ziva got up and handed Jack to him. "If there is, there is nothing you can do about it, Tony. Tim is in charge and Gibbs is there. Do not let this worry you."

"But what if…" Ziva put her fingers over his lips. He kissed them softly. "Mmpfh?" He asked, smiling.

Ziva removed her hand. "Thank you. So, you're saying take a chill pill since we're here and they are there?" Tony commented.

"Pretty much. If something big was going on, would you just pack up and go back?"

Tony considered the question. "I guess not, unless it was an issue of National Security."

Ziva bent to kiss him. "_I_ have not been notified of any unusual or threatening activity." Ziva subtly reminded Tony that she was in charge of the Analyst Desk. If anything was going down, she would be one of the first to know.

"What would I do without you?" He kissed her back, cuddling his future-Baron son.

"Fortunately, you will never find out the answer to that question." Ziva sat next to him and leaned against his arm. They watched Karina clapping at the fountain and trying to chase butterflies, thinking what a special and blessed life they had.

**Gibbs and Mimi's Home- North Arlington**

Mimi shuffled into their home, exhausted after an unusually busy day in clinic. She eased herself onto the sofa and put her feet up.

"I don't know Andrew, Mommy may have to quit work soon. You are getting too big and I can't lug you around as easily as I could before." She rubbed her eight-month pregnant belly lovingly and felt the baby kick.

"I know that you like going to work and talking to everybody, but you knew we would have to stop at some point." She chuckled to herself. "Who am I trying to convince, you or me?" She leaned forward when she heard the front door open.

Gibbs came around the corner. "Hi?" He looked at her in surprise. His eyes narrowed. "Are you ok?" He sat down next to her, trying not to panic.

Mimi held his arm. "Don't worry. I am just exhausted. Busy, busy day. Hey, you're home early."

Gibbs grimaced. "Just to get some things. We're pulling an all-nighter. We lost an Agent."

Mimi's hand flew to her mouth and Gibbs cursed himself for his miss-speak. "Sorry, Babe. Wrong verbiage. Missing. Dorneget's been abducted, we are assuming by our suspect, but we really have nothing at this point."

Mimi sagged into the sofa. "Oh, God. Will he be ok? What am I thinking, you can't answer that. Here…" She struggled to get up. "I have a tray of lasagna in the freezer. Take it in so everyone can get something to eat."

By the time Gibbs was ready to go, he had a cooler full of food, with plates and silverware. He looked at her again, worried. "Are you sure you are ok, I don't want to leave you…"

"Jethro, they need you there. I will be fine. I am assuming Abby will be staying?" Mimi sat back down.

Gibbs shook his head. "Not my call, but we don't have much for her to do at this point. I'll talk to Tim."

"Good. If she's home, I can call her if I need anything." Mimi suggested. Gibbs sat down, and took her hand.

"What's going on?" Gibbs looked deeply into her eyes, daring her to lie.

Mimi grimaced. "I am just tired, Jethro. This baby may not weigh much in the scheme of things, but it's wearing on me. I hate to say this, but I may need to stay home from now on. Work about killed me today and I was only in for four hours."

Gibbs pulled her into a hug. "Well, you know what I think. You do what you need to do. I'd rather you stay home, but it's your call."

Mimi nodded. "I know, and I think I may make that call. Shoo! Go back to work. Have Abby call me if she is heading home. Someone has to take care of those twins." Gibbs gave her a lingering kiss and stood to leave.

"Call me before you go to bed, ok?" Gibbs gave her one last look before he headed out.

Mimi smiled and nodded. "I will. Good luck, and keep positive." Gibbs gave her one of his wry smiles.

**Cheltenham, Gloucester, UK**

Ziva and Phoebe arrived at the House in Endfield, a noted London designer before ten. Ziva had thoroughly enjoyed the drive, getting to know Phoebe and admiring the countryside.

As they entered London, Ziva felt nostalgic for the last time she had been here. Not that it had necessarily been fun and games, but it had been an exciting time for her. She had only been Mossad for two years, but was already seasoned. This operation was fraught with danger, but the Ziva David of the past had thrived on that life.

She shook her head, amazed at the difference in her life, a difference she was very happy to be experiencing. She looked at the elegant entrance and felt a little overwhelmed, but Phoebe came to her side.

"No worries, Ziva dear. I had called several weeks ago when we found out you were coming. Many, many dresses have been set aside for us. Come then, let's go play!" Phoebe linked her arm in Ziva's and led her through the double doors.

Meanwhile, Tony was on childcare duty, and had Karina and Jack with him as they watched Sophie and Tori take their riding lessons. Karina was thrilled with the horses, but Jack didn't like them at first.

He finally settled down as Tony put him in a front carrier. Soon he was sleeping and Tony had his hands free to restrain Karina, who wanted to run into the arena.

"Pony! Pony!" She cried out happily. Sophie and Tori waved as they trotted by on their ponies. Tony cringed as he watched the four-year old on the large animal. He understood this was all second nature to them, but he was scared to death she would fall and be trampled.

The girls' instructor was a young man in his late twenties, very horsey and very good. After chatting with him, Tony learned he had been on the 2013 Great Britain Equestrian team for the Olympics.

"So, are you teaching the girls just to ride, or to do fancy stuff like jumps?" Tony asked.

Peter smiled. "Well, first they need to learn to ride and trust the horse. All in good time. Both girls have a good feel for riding, so I would anticipate that His Grace would want them to continue, possibly even compete."

"Wow." Tony answered. He looked at Karina, her eyes glued to her little cousins. He had never considered riding lessons for her. Ballet and piano? That was a given. Did they want to deal with the hassle of keeping a horse somewhere so Karina could take lessons?

Tony shrugged. He would talk to Ziva. He remembered that one of her uncles had raised Arabians, so she certainly had a greater knowledge about such things than he did. His cell phone went off and he looked at the read out. He frowned: doing the math in his head, it was still the middle of the night in DC.

"Hey, everything ok?" Tony walked away from the stables to have some privacy.

**NCIS**

Tim sighed. He hadn't wanted to call Tony, but they had no leads on Dorneget. It had been twelve hours since he went missing, and they had nothing. Well, that was not technically true: they did find out that the other bodies matched their dog tags. That pointed to Zelner as being their main suspect.

From what they had been able to piece together, he went off the grid four months ago, along with the three other victims. There didn't seem to be any investigation into their whereabouts, which they thought was strange. Surely someone noticed they were missing?

There was very little information about any of the victims. Their military records were vague and Gibbs thought, incomplete. For the first time, Gibbs considered that this may be related to whatever op these men had been on. They were being blocked, but Gibbs wasn't sure by whom.

"Talk to me, McGee." Tony prompted, worried about the hesitation on the other end.

"Hey, Tony. How's England?"

Tony sighed and rolled his eyes. "OK, you didn't call at…what time is it there, four am? To ask 'how's England'. What's wrong?"

"We're investigating a triple homicide. It has black ops written all over it." Tim began.

Tony frowned again. "Ok, that's exciting, but I'm not sure why that's worth calling at four a.m. Wait! Gibbs hasn't taken off, has he?" Tony worried about Mimi and the baby and what would they do if Gibbs…

"No, Tony. Gibbs is fine. He's right here. We…we have a situation here, Tony. I wasn't going to call you, but I think you need to be aware of what's happened, just in case." Tim rubbed his forehead. He didn't want to think of "just in case", because that would mean they failed in their efforts to save Dorneget.

"What kind of situation?" Tony asked, not really sure if he wanted to know.

"Our suspect, at least we believe it's our suspect: He took Dorneget, Tony. He's been missing for twelve hours now. We have nothing, no leads: nothing." Tim leaned back in his chair, the effort to say the words taking a toll.

Tony was silent, his jaw working. He didn't like anything happening to his team and he certainly didn't like anything happening when he wasn't there.

_**Thanks as always for the great reviews. It keeps me going, especially in light of what's happening on the NCIS front. I know NCIS has investigated kidnappings without involving the FBI, but I like Fornell. Also, the British designer is a made up one, I know nothing about that kind of stuff and didn't want to describe a gown a known designer would never have created. Check out my latest edition of "Promonitions", started posting this week.**_


	31. Chapter 31

"_**What kind of situation?" Tony asked, not really sure if he wanted to know.**_

"_**Our suspect, at least we believe it's our suspect: He took Dorneget, Tony. He's been missing for twelve hours now. We have nothing, no leads: nothing." Tim leaned back in his chair, the effort to say the words taking a toll.**_

_**Tony was silent, his jaw working. He didn't like anything happening to his team and he certainly didn't like anything happening when he wasn't there.**_

Usual Disclaimers: I don't own NCIS or its characters, but I do own mine.

Chapter Thirty-One: "Beauty and the Beast"

**Waldorf, Maryland-Charles County**

Dorneget watched his capturer, unsure of what was happening. The man in front of him was disfigured, his face and arms a patchwork of scars and discolored skin. He was vaguely familiar, but the damage to his features rendered him unrecognizable.

"What were you doing at my house?" The man asked calmly.

"Your house? I…I'm sorry. I work for Naval Criminal Investigative Services. We're investigating the murder of some Marines. We thought one of them lived there." Dorneget was confused. He was still working under the belief that the first body was Zelner.

Gabriel Zelner frowned and started pacing. The bodies had been found. He had hoped that they would never be discovered, or at least long after he was gone, but no such luck.

He looked at the young Agent in front of him. He had killed before, it would be easy again. But those deaths had cause. Other than being in his home, this man had done nothing to him. He needed to think.

**Cheltenham, Gloucester, UK**

Ziva and Phoebe did not get back to the estate until eight p.m. Phoebe announced that the shopping trip had been a success. Ziva was not too sure: The gown she bought was certainly beautiful but the price made her gasp. She worried what Tony would say, but it was made clear to her that she couldn't wear something…less.

She had spoken to Tony earlier, but he had seemed distracted. She heard about the riding lessons, but something was clearly on his mind. Once convinced the children were fine and behaving, she tried to put it out of her mind and enjoy her trip.

But now that she was back, she was anxious to find out what was going on with him. She found him in the nursery, rocking Jack and watching Karina sleep.

"Hi." She said softly, not wanting to wake the babies. Tony looked at her and kissed her hello, resting his head on her forehead. "What is wrong, my love?"

Tony sighed and stood up. She took Jack from him, who began stirring when he felt his mother's body. He began rooting in his sleep, so Ziva retired to their bedroom and prepared to breastfeed her son. Tony followed behind, sitting on the bed.

He waited for Ziva and Jack to get comfortable. Once Ziva looked him in the eye, he filled her in. "I got a call from McGee. Dorneget's been abducted."

Ziva's sharp intake of breath startled Jack, but fortunately he remained drowsy. "What happened?" She asked; her voice laced with concern.

Tony hunched forward. "He wouldn't go into specifics about the case or what happened. He was just informing me of the situation. He assured me that they had things under control, but thought I should know." He rubbed his chin. "I talked to Gibbs as well. He seemed optimistic, and told me to stay put."

Ziva looked closely at her husband. "Are you considering going back? Now?" She understood his need to be with his team right now, but she wasn't sure that would be advisable.

Tony shook his head. "I considered it. But what good would it do? It sounds like they have plenty of resources and manpower. I asked them to keep me apprised of the situation." He lay back down on the bed, clearly conflicted.

"I think that is for the best, Tony. I am worried, but I also have every confidence in McGee and Gibbs to find him." She looked at Jack, who had stopped nursing.

Tony nodded. "Yeah, me too. It's hard, though. Knowing a member of your team is in trouble and you can't do anything about it."

Ziva stood up and moved to the bed. She laid Jack on his chest, and watched Tony instantly place his hand on him. She moved next to him and placed her hand over his.

"Did you get a dress?" He finally asked, looking at her sideways.

"Oh, yes. And it cost a very large amount of money I am sorry to say. But it is beautiful and appropriate to the occasion according to Phoebe." Ziva sighed dramatically. "It seems silly to spend so much for one evening. Where will I possibly ever wear it again?"

Tony kissed her temple. "We can have a prom at home." Ziva chuckled and hid her head in his shoulder so she wouldn't wake up Jack.

"Let's put the little guy to bed. You must be exhausted. Did you eat anything?" Tony was back to the present. Ziva walked with him to put Jack down.

"Yes, we ate before we left London. It was very nice getting to know Phoebe and spending time with her. She is quite humorous and down to earth."

"I got that same impression from our dinner the other night." Tony said absently. He looked at his sleeping children. "Karina was quite taken with the ponies." He looked at her sideways.

Ziva arched an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting we give her riding lessons? That would mean buying a horse, yes?" She loved horses and grew up with them, but her Uncle had a large estate. Where would they put a horse?

Tony grinned. "I thought about it…for about a second. We'd have to board the horse somewhere, so it wouldn't be nearby and easy to get to. I think it would be a big hassle." He shrugged. Deep down he knew that if his little girl really wanted to take riding lessons he would go to the ends of the earth to make it happen. However, he didn't feel the need to share that with Ziva at the moment.

Ziva looked at him, as if reading his mind. She chuckled at his transparency and led him back into the bedroom. "Would you like to see my dress?" Tony's eyes popped open.

"Oh, yeah! Are you going to model it for me?" Tony smiled wide, leaning back on the bed with his hands behind his head.

Ziva rolled her eyes. "I will put it on, yes. But I will not prance about." Ziva went into the dressing room and zipped open the bag containing her precious gown. It was a stunning creation, embroidered illusion tulle that had a lovely scoop neckline and "V" shaped back. The champagne colored gown was delicately embroidered with a leaf motif of sapphire blue. The gown was finished off with cap sleeves and a full A-line skirt.

Tony whistled softly when he saw her come out. "Oh, my God! You look absolutely amazing. I love that dress!" Tony sat up to get a better look. "I have the perfect complement for it. Be right back!" Tony went into the dressing room and opened the safe.

"Tony, I am already planning on wearing my sapphire necklace and earrings. I do not think it needs anything else." Ziva called out quietly.

"Well, it certainly needs this." Tony was holding a velvet box, his eyes snapping with excitement.

Ziva looked perplexed. "What is that? I have not seen that before."

"That, my ninja bride, is because I have been saving this for a special occasion: such as being presented as the Heirs Apparent. It was my mother's, and now it is yours." Tony opened up the box for Ziva to see.

She gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. She looked at Tony, her eyes large and moist. "Oh, Tony. I cannot."

"Oh, yes you can. Here, let's put it on." Tony took the exquisite tiara from its case. It was small, and not overly ornate, but the pave diamonds in the shape of ash leaves told of its origin. A large sapphire was mounted in the center, with smaller sapphires along the band. Tony placed it gently on Ziva's head and they turned to face the full-length mirror.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." Tony kissed her neck, overcome by the vision in front of him.

Ziva touched her head, incredulous at what she was seeing. "Karina will love the tiara." She joked.

"Do you love it?" Tony asked, his green eyes deep with emotion.

Ziva turned to face him, placing her hands on his chest. She kissed him deeply, savoring the moment. "I feel like a Princess and you are my Prince." She kissed him again, passion flaring as Tony put his arms around her.

She stepped back. "I better get out of this dress before I muss it up." Tony grinned.

"Here, let me help you get out of this thing." Tony unzipped the back, his fingers tracing the gentle curve of her spine. Ziva shivered at his touch.

Being as careful as possible, she stepped out of the gown and quickly returned it to its bag. Tony took the tiara off and gently laid it back down on its bed of velvet. He then surprised Ziva by picking her up and carrying her to their bed.

He gently laid her down and then proceeded to show his wife how much he loved her.

**Waldorf, Maryland- Charles County**

Dorneget woke with a start. He was no longer sitting tied to a chair, but he wasn't free either. He looked about the small room, trying to figure out a way to escape.

"Don't hurt your brain. There's no way out." Zelner came out from the shadows. Dorneget shrunk back from him, trying not to show he was afraid, but not doing a very good job at it.

In fact, Zelner had treated him fairly decently, if you could overlook the whole being held captive thing. He hadn't hurt him; he gave him food and water and policed him when required.

He just kind of watched Dorneget, as if he didn't know what to do with him. He knew he didn't want a bunch of armed NCIS Agents searching for him looking for vengeance, so he reluctantly came to a decision.

**NCIS**

McGee rubbed his eyes. Dorneget had been missing for almost twenty-four hours, with no word from his captor. The odds were fast dwindling and if he was being honest with himself, he would have considered Dorneget lost at this point.

He felt like a failure: he failed Dorneget, he failed the team, and he failed Tony. Gibbs had kept a distance, agreeing with everything Tim had done so far. It was just so damn frustrating that they had absolutely…_nothing_!

Tim opened his eyes blearily when his phone rang. "Special Agent McGee." He answered, the exhaustion apparent in his voice.

"Agent McGee, your Agent Dorneget is fine."

Tim sat up straight, snapped his fingers and put the call on speaker. He mouthed to Stan: "Trace my number."

Gibbs and Stan immediately became alert. Stan bent to his computer and Gibbs moved to McGee's desk.

"Who is this? Let me speak to my Agent." Tim demanded.

"I think you know who this is. Gabriel Zelner. You were at my home after all." Zelner sounded calm, and frighteningly normal.

"Let me speak to my Agent, Zelner." Tim kept his own voice calm and even, although inside he was quaking.

"Say Hi, Ned." They could hear Zelner's voice as he moved the phone away.

"Agent McGee! I'm…I'm ok. I'm not hurt…"

"Ok, Ned, that's enough." Zelner brought the phone back to his mouth. "See? Everything's ok, you can relax."

Tim frowned and looked at Gibbs, who also looked perplexed. Tim was relieved that Dorneget was still alive and according to him unharmed. But what was this call about? Why was Zelner telling them to relax? It made no sense.

"Zelner, what do you want? You can't get away with this. Talk to me. I can help." Gibbs nodded approvingly as Tim spoke with the Marine. Stan had also given Fornell a head's up. He came off the elevator as Tim was talking.

He strode up to Gibbs. "I was in the parking lot when I got the call. What do we have?"

"What do I want? I don't know, someone to understand, to listen, to make things right? What happened to me shouldn't happen to anyone, not ever. You need to make them stop." Zelner's voice betrayed his anxiety.

Tim looked at Gibbs. Something had clearly happened to this young man, but he had no idea what?

Fornell quickly wrote something down and gave it to Tim. Tim looked at him, surprised. Fornell nodded and looked pointedly at his phone.

"Zelner, tell us where you are. I promise that no one will get hurt. We'll let you talk, we _will_ listen. We want to know what happened and do whatever we can to make things right." Tim wasn't sure he liked placating to this man who had taken Dorneget, but he knew enough about negotiations that you always wanted to get the abductor to turn himself in. But this man was also a cold-blooded killer. He couldn't make any promises to him regarding that.

Zelner looked at Dorneget and considered his options. He didn't have any plan; he had stumbled upon the Agent and acted on impulse. He didn't want to get killed in any rescue operation, although he considered it might be better than the alternative.

He was under no illusion that they knew he killed his superior officers. They just didn't know why. He was tired. He was sick. It was time to go home.

"I'm ready to talk if someone will listen. But the minute I think you're going to take me down, your Agent is a goner." Zelner announced.

"You have my word, Zelner. We will not shoot first, ask questions later. But we will defend ourselves and Agent Dorneget." Fornell winced at that. He didn't think McGee should antagonize Zelner. At this point he held all of the cards.

Stan looked up. "Southern Maryland, Charles County." He mouthed.

"Ok." Zelner answered after a few moments of silence. "We'll be at the St. Charles Town Center. Food Court, second floor, 12 noon." He hung up.

McGee slammed his phone down. "A shopping Mall?" Fornell sighed.

"Zelner's smart. He knows we won't open fire in a crowed Mall, and food courts are always crowded." McGee turned to him.

"How do you want to do this? You have more experience in hostage release than I do." Tim had no trouble deferring to the older, more experience FBI Agent. Fornell tipped his head in acknowledgement.

"I would place several Agents in the Mall to scope out the situation, and make sure Zelner and Dorneget are there. Once we get the report we can make a decision as to how to proceed. But I think it goes without saying that we don't storm the place in full tactical gear." Tobias looked at Gibbs, who smiled grimly.

"This seems too easy. Why take Dorneget in the first place to just hand him over without a fuss?" Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck.

"You heard him, Jethro. He wants someone to listen. He clearly didn't plan this. He discovered your Agents in his house. Maybe he tried to leave without being seen."

"No, the house was empty. We cleared it." Stan interjected.

"Ok, then he showed up at his own home and found Dorneget waiting. He obviously didn't want to be found; I think the whole 'faking your own death' thing gives that away." Fornell took a breath.

"So he took Dorneget so we wouldn't know he was alive, and yet here we are: we know he's alive, that he murdered his colleagues and he's getting ready to turn himself in?" McGee had trouble understanding the logic.

Fornell smiled and shrugged. "I didn't say he was smart. Actually, I think he _is_, but what I'm saying is that he didn't think it through. Abducting Agent Dorneget or any Agent for that matter wasn't a planned act. It was a knee-jerk reaction. He had to have figured out why you were at his house, even if Dorneget didn't tell him himself."

McGee considered that. Zelner had to know that they had found the bodies. This made his peaceful surrender all the more perplexing.

Enough was enough. It was time for this to end. "Ok, let's go." McGee announced. Tobias nodded and pulled out his phone.

**Cheltenham, Gloucester, UK**

"Very good, Karina!" Ziva praised her daughter as she held her in the pool. They had been taking "Mommy and Me" swimming lessons that summer, and Ziva was pleased they could continue while they were on vacation.

Karina had her water wings on her little arms, splashing happily in the warm water. "That's right, kick your feet. Good girl!" Tony cheered from the pool deck.

He was presently sitting with Jack, who was lying on a soft pad watching intently. "I think Jack wants to come in!" He called out to Ziva.

Ziva smiled. "Well, bring him in. They are never too young to learn."

Tony jumped up and grabbed Jack. He kissed his chubby face, making the baby squeal. "Want to go swimming, Jack? I know you love the water. This will be fun!" Tony carefully descended the graceful steps into the shallow end where Ziva and Karina were practicing.

Tony gently bobbed Jack up and down in the water, laughing at Jack's expression. He looked so much like Karina when he laughed, eyes almost shut and a big grin on his face.

"Let's try going underneath." Ziva suggested. Tony looked at her in surprise.

"Really? Don't you think he is too young?" He looked at Jack as if he just realized he was only five and a half months old.

"No. In fact, we should have started earlier with Karina. There are babies younger than Jack in our lesson. I would start Jack now, but I cannot hold two babies at once." Ziva lifted Karina's bottom up so that she was prone in the water. She happily kicked her legs, giggling.

"Huh." Tony responded. "Ok, what do I do?" He didn't like this; worried he might actually drown his own son.

Ziva looked at him in exasperation. "Do you not often quote that movie…what is it? Oh, yes. 'The Blue Lagoon'. They taught that little baby how to swim."

Tony's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah, I forgot!" He gently dipped Jack down into the water until he was completely submerged and brought him right back up.

Jack sputtered and looked at his father with an expression that clear said "Why in the hell did you do that?" Tony laughed at him and said "Whee!"

Once Jack had recovered, he did it again. After each time, Jack became calmer and more accepting of this new situation. After a while, he began to laugh.

"See? I told you. Jack, you are a swimmer." Ziva beamed proudly at her son. Tony's phone rang.

Tony grumbled, not wanting to interrupt this important milestone with his son, but given the current situation at work he knew he better answer.

He quickly got out of the pool, balancing Jack on his hip. He reached the phone after the fourth ring.

"Yeah, DiNozzo." He answered breathlessly.

"Tony? We have Dorneget. He's safe."

_**Yay, Dornie's ok. The next chapter will show the rescue and the ball. Thanks again for the great reviews, faves and follows. And a big thank you to those who have faved me as an author. That means so much. Please continue to review; I need the love as September looms…**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**Tony grumbled, not wanting to interrupt this important milestone with his son, but given the current situation at work he knew he better answer.**_

_**He quickly got out of the pool, balancing Jack on his hip. He reached the phone after the fourth ring.**_

"_**Yeah, DiNozzo." He answered breathlessly.**_

"_**Tony? We have Dorneget. He's safe."**_

**Don't own it, wish it did…**

Chapter Thirty-Two:

**St. Charles Town Center, Waldorf**

Fornell and a female FBI agent walked casually around the second level of the Mall; a couple heading for the Food Court looking for some lunch.

McGee sat at one of the small tables, nursing a soda and a hamburger, while Gibbs was sitting at another table, sipping coffee and reading a newspaper. Stan had remained outside with the rest of the FBI Agents. He wasn't sure he hadn't been seen by Zelner and didn't want to spook him by being seen in the Food Court.

Dorneget sat on a bench with Zelner, his eyes darting back and forth. He hoped the team wouldn't come in with deadly force. Zelner had murdered three of his superior officers, but Dorneget knew why. That didn't make it ok, but it made him sympathetic.

Dorneget spotted McGee and Gibbs right away. He tried to signal them that he was ok without giving himself away, but was too nervous.

But Zelner was smart, and knew the Agents had to be watching them. "Are they here, Ned?" He asked quietly, looking around.

Dornie rubbed his hand on his legs, nervous perspiration making them sticky. "I see two of my team, Gabe." He answered. Zelner nodded.

"Ok, go ahead, Ned. Just please: ask them to not make this a big-take down, ok?" Dorneget stood up and turned to Zelner.

"I will make sure they let you talk, I promise." Dornie turned toward McGee and motioned him over.

Gibbs looked shock and a little pissed. What was Dorneget doing? This wasn't a social gathering. Gibbs flicked his eyes to Fornell, who nodded. McGee looked over at Gibbs and signaled him to follow his lead.

Gibbs didn't like the way this was going down, but then again he also wasn't looking for a shoot-out in the middle of crowded food court either. Warily, Gibbs approached from the other side.

McGee walked up to Dorneget, his hand on his gun and looked at Zelner. Zelner looked up at him. "I won't resist, Sir. I am tired and ready to finish this."

McGee looked quizzically at Dorneget. "Are you ok, Dorneget?" Dornie was looking at Zelner and turned haunted eyes back to McGee.

"Yes, Boss. I'm fine. Don't hurt him, please." McGee was concerned by Dorneget's demeanor. He had heard of Stockholm Syndrome, when a victim identified with their captor. He wondered briefly if Dorneget was going to need psychological counseling after this and realize he would have any way. Being taken hostage, regardless of the outcome was psychologically traumatic.

McGee turned back to Zelner, signaling Gibbs and Fornell to hold back. "Gabriel Zelner, will you please stand. You will be escorted back to NCIS where you will be questioned for the murders three Marine officers."

Zelner stood and held out his hands. McGee brought them behind him and cuffed him. "I'll take him, Boss." Dorneget put his hand on Zelner's arm and lead him outside, avoiding the frightened looks of the patrons in the Mall.

McGee fell into step beside the pair, not wanting Dorneget's obvious trust of this alleged murderer to be taken advantage of. Gibbs and Fornell followed behind, sharing concerned and confused glances.

"What was that about, Jethro? What is your Agent doing?" Tobias asked his friend.

Gibbs cocked his head. "I have no idea what Dorneget thinks he is doing helping this guy out. There must be more to this than we know yet."

"This should be interesting." Fornell commented. They watched McGee put Zelner in the back of the sedan.

"No, Dorneget. You ride with Stan." McGee stopped Dorneget from getting into the car. Dorneget started to protest, but stopped when he saw the look on McGee's face.

Dorneget nodded and walked to where Stan was standing. Stan grabbed his arm and shook his hand. "Are you ok, Dornie? I am so sorry I wasn't there to back you up." Stan was still shaken up by the events and his relief at seeing Dorneget safe and unharmed overwhelmed him.

Dorneget looked surprised. "It wasn't your fault, Stan. I'm ok. I'm more worried about Gabe, though."

"_Gabe?"_ Stan thought to himself. He looked over at the car where McGee and Gibbs were pulling away with the suspect. He turned back to Dorneget and was dismayed to see the look on his face. Concern for his safety was replaced by concerned for his psychological state.

"Come on, Ned. Let's get back to NCIS."

**Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK**

"Can you help me with this?" Tony called out, walking into the bedroom with the uncooperative black tie.

Ziva looked up from the dressing table, where she was putting on her earrings. "My, doesn't my husband look delicious." She murmured softly in his ear as she expertly placed the tie around his neck.

Tony enjoyed watching her frown in concentration as she completed the task. He kissed her forehead when she was done. "Thank you, Sweetheart. I can never get this right." Ziva smooth his tux jacket, brushing some link off of his sleeve.

She looked closely at him. The news that Dorneget had been rescued had been a great relief, but the subsequent call had been worrisome. Ziva knew Tony was very concerned about Dorneget, but until they returned next week, there wasn't anything he could do about it, except hope that McGee handled this unexpected situation very carefully.

Ziva thought back to when Tony and she had discussed Ari. Tony had revealed to her details of Ari's obsession with Kate, and Kate's own unusual response. There had definitely been a connection between the two, which had made his murder of this woman all the more shocking and heinous.

Ziva was silent as Tony had described the events of Ari's hostage situation in the morgue and when he had shown up the second time and had taken Kate again. Ari had not mentioned any of this to Ziva, except the latter; and then it was very cut and dried. He had taken Kate for the sole purpose of revealing he was Mossad while still keeping his cover with the Hamas terrorists, the get NCIS off of his ass.

And now, it would appear they had another Agent who had bonded with his captor. Agent Dorneget had a long road ahead of him.

Getting back to the present and to keep her husband's mind off of the events across the ocean, Ziva brought up a topic sure to occupy his mind.

"I think you are going to have to handle the babies. Wearing this costume is not conducive to carrying children and putting them into car seats." Ziva held out the skirt of her gown, swirling it slightly.

They had been instructed to bring Karina and Jack. The children would all be upstairs in the nursery, a nanny keeping watch and entertaining them. Ziva had insisted that they be dressed up for their arrival at Ashleigh Manor, but she was also packing extra clothes for them to change into so they could play. She even brought their pajamas, knowing it would be a late evening.

Cris and Phoebe had suggested letting Karina and Jack spend the night. Tony thought it would be fun, well at least for Karina, but Ziva wasn't so sure. She thought Karina was too young for slumber parties, and Jack was still breastfeeding.

"What if Karina wakes up in the middle of the night crying for her parents? Do you want to drive back over there to bring her back here? No, I didn't think so." Ziva summed up.

Karina was very excited to see her Mommy and Daddy all dressed up. "You know." Tony considered. "Other than our wedding, I don't think Karina has seen you in such a dress, and she was too young to remember that." Ziva was fussing with Karina's hair.

"Hold still, Karina. Yes, I think you are right. She is very pretty herself, aren't you, Sweetness?" Ziva leaned down and kissed her daughter.

Karina's hair was longer and fuller than most twenty-month olds. Ziva brought half of her curls into an adorable little knot on top of her head, and then let the rest of her curls fluff out below.

Tony smiled at her girls, kissing Karina's cheek and telling her how beautiful she and Mommy were. Karina giggled and kissed him back.

"Mommy pwetty! Kari pwetty!" Karina had dropped "Kar-li" for the moment and was attempting to say her full name. "Kari" was the result. "Gack pwetty?" She asked.

Jack was sitting on the floor, chewing on a toy. He was dressed in a shirt, vest and pants, which he didn't seem to like. "You look like a little businessman!" Tony chuckled at his son.

Jack laughed and gurgled back at his Daddy. Tony looked at Ziva. "I think you're right. I'll get the kids downstairs and into the car. Once we are there, I think Karina will be ok and there will be help to take them up to the nursery."

Ziva took one last look at her children, and then scrutinized herself in the mirror. "I hope someone will take a picture of all of us. I know no one will believe this unless they see it for themselves."

Tony grinned and held up his camera. "Hey, streaming video, baby!" Ziva shook her head.

"I am ready. Let's go to the prom!"

**NCIS**

Gibbs and Fornell sat in the interrogation room, staring at Gabriel Zelner. He returned their gaze, his eyes hollow, prominent dark circles contrasting sharply with the scarring of his face.

Now that he was here, they were able to take in his disfigurement. Gibbs frowned, a new worry about this case reminding him of something, but for the life of him he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Ok, you wanted to talk. So talk." Fornell started.

"You found the bodies." Zelner stated the obvious.

Gibbs nodded. "Good for you for figuring that out." He retorted.

Zelner looked at him. "I know they were there for a while, but I'm sure your Medical Examiner was able to make some determinations about them."

Fornell and Gibbs looked at each other. "What's that supposed to mean?" Gibbs asked quietly.

Zelner wiped his eyes, sighing. "Your doctor didn't find any evidence of radiation contamination, did he?"

Both Fornell and Gibbs sucked in their breath at that. Gibbs excused himself and went out into the hall and called Ducky.

"Duck: those three bodies. Any evidence of exposure to radiation? Yeah I have a reason for asking but I'm not sure what it is yet. Are you sure? Sorry, Duck. This case has been a bitch. Yeah, ok. I'll let you know when I find out something." Gibbs ended the call and looked more confused than ever.

He went back into the interrogation room and sat back down. "None. Is that what you were expecting?" Gibbs eyes Zelner very carefully.

Zelner nodded. "I was part of MARSOC, out of Camp Lejeune. Eight months ago, our group was deployed to Afghanistan, top secret mission."

Gibbs nodded, knowing that part of his story. "Can you talk about it? I can get clearance."

Zelner looked at his scarred hands. "I don't care if you have clearance or not. What more can be done to me for giving details of a black op? Dishonorable Discharge?" He laughed ruefully.

"We knew that Iran has been stockpiling uranium ore, and of'course the concern is what in the hell they plan to do with it. Our job was to do recon and try to figure out what their end game was."

Fornell sat up straight. "Gibbs, you may not be read into this and don't care, but I certainly care that I am not. I think I should excuse myself at this point. I have no intention of being detained by my bosses because I know too much."

Gibbs cocked his head at Fornell. He couldn't blame him for being nervous about what Zelner was about to reveal. Gibbs nodded.

"Just hold on to your thought, Zelner. I need to bring someone else in." He flipped his phone open and punched in a number.

"Director? Can you come down here? I think you are going to want to hear this." Gibbs looked at Zelner again, suddenly realizing the nature of his injuries. _"Shit!"_ He thought to himself.

Down the hall, McGee was sitting with Dorneget, getting his statement. He carefully described how Zelner had stumbled upon him and described in detail how he was detained. He went to great lengths to describe how well Zelner had treated him and denied that he had been hurt in any way.

McGee regarded him silently. Finally, he asked the question. "Ned, why are you protecting him? Yeah, I can see he didn't harm you physically, but he murdered three men; three Marines he served with. He is not harmless, despite what you think or what he may have told you."

Dorneget looked down and said nothing. McGee rubbed the back of his neck, discouraged and frankly worried. "Ned, talk to me. I can't help if you don't tell me what he did to you."

Dorneget's head snapped up at that. "He didn't do anything to me, Tim. He was the victim. It's what was done to him."

**Cheltenham, Gloucester, UK**

Tony pulled up at the entrance to Ashleigh Manor, noting in amusement the number of valet's and other "hired help" in view.

A young man came up to him, and Tony handed him the keys. Another young man helped them get the children out of the car. Karina stared at the stranger who had assisted her and stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled and went on to the next arrival.

Ziva smile indulgently at her daughter's actions. "Come, Karina. Take Mommy's hand." Karina obediently placed her tiny hand in Ziva's and entered the big estate.

"Sopietoey?" Karina named her cousins as one word. Ziva looked down at her and smiled.

"Karina!" The little girls screamed. Karina let go of Ziva's hand and ran over to her friends.

"Keep it down to a dull roar, children of mine." Crispian ordered. "Remember, you are to be on best behavior tonight."

"Yes, Daddy." Both girls chirped together.

"And don't go anywhere just yet. I need Karina. Yes, come with me my little pet. We have a surprise for you." Karina let Cris lead her into a small drawing room, with Tony, Ziva and Jack following. Tony raised his eyebrows when he saw a photographer all set up.

"I thought a formal family portrait in all your finery would be quite brilliant." Cris smiled.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other, a little surprised but actually pleased. The photographer started posing them: all of them on the sofa; Ziva seated with Tony behind the family and every sort of combination possible. Ziva was relieved when the session was over and success declared.

"You will be given all of the proofs to pick your favorite." The photographer informed them. Tony shook his hand in thanks and gathered his family.

Cris led them down to another drawing room, where Phoebe was waiting in all her splendor. The gown was magnificent, seemingly of spun gold and worthy of a Duchess. Her tiara was ornate, studded with diamonds and emeralds and Tony realized he remembered seeing it before but he couldn't remember when.

"There you are." Phoebe held out her hands in welcome. "This is the 'duty' part. We are to receive our guests as they arrive. Then we will be presented. You get used to it." She smiled and shrugged as if it was all a necessary annoyance. Cris kissed her cheek.

"Don't let her disdain fool you. She loves every minute of it, don't you my love?" Cris grinned at his beautiful wife.

She playful patted his cheek. Ziva looked nervous. "The children as well?"

"Oh yes." Cris answered. "The next generation must be seen. They are the main attraction. We're just the parents."

Tony looked just as surprised as Ziva did, but arranged his family as instructed and waited in the receiving line, feeling decidedly uncomfortable.

After about ten minutes, the guests started arriving and as expected, made their way to the drawing room to greet their hosts. Ziva had trouble figuring out who most of these people were, but did her duty as the wife of the heir apparent.

One old dowager gasped and kissed Tony soundly. "Anthony! I have not seen you since you were a mere child. Your mother was a favorite of mine, you know. _Delightful_ young girl. And this is your family? Charmed, absolutely charmed." She made her way down the line.

Karina was quite confused by all of these people wearing big clothes, but she was well-behaved and watched everything that was happening.

"Tony, look!" Ziva touched Tony's arm and directed his attention to their daughter. Much to their delight, Karina was trying to curtsy to the old woman who had known Tony as a child.

She was absolutely charmed by Karina and declared her to be "full of Paddington blood". Tony had to pinch Ziva to prevent her from disagreeing with the dowager. But they did think it was cute of Karina to try to mimic her cousins.

"Did you teach her to curtsy?" Tony spoke out of the side of his mouth to Ziva, as he greeted yet another guest.

"No, I did not. It never occurred to me that it would be expected. Sophie and Tori must have taught her." Ziva responded, smiling and offering her hand to the gentleman who was clearly quite important but Ziva had no idea who he was.

Finally, the receiving line dwindled and the last guest had made their way into the ballroom. The nanny showed up and instructed the girls to follow her upstairs. They kissed their parents goodnight and promised to be good. Tony and Ziva followed them up with Karina and Jack, showing the nanny their extra clothes.

Karina was so excited to be in the nursery again with her cousins she wasn't too disturbed that her parents were leaving her. Jack started crying, not knowing this strange person. Ziva rushed to comfort him and soon he quieted down and let the woman hold him.

Tony held out his arm to her, and Ziva smiled as she placed her own arm through his. As they made their way down the sweeping staircase, they could hear various titled people being introduced as they entered the ballroom, with clapping from the assemblage.

They walked up to Crispin and Phoebe, who would be last to be presented. Cris smiled at them, pleased with how the evening had started.

"Are the children settled?" He asked Ziva. She nodded and smiled happily.

"Yes, Jack was unhappy at first but he has settled down."

"Very good. Ah, the time has arrived. Your turn." He nodded to Tony.

Grasping Ziva's hand that was resting on his forearm, Tony led the love of his life into the ballroom. "Presenting the Honorable and Mrs. Anthony D. DiNozzo…"

_**That was fun. What's going to happen to Dornie? Speaking of Dornie, I'm kind of surprised that his character has not been mentioned at all with Ziva leaving, but maybe the actor is not available. I have decided to continue this series beyond this story. TIVA will always live on in my heart, and I have more stories to share with my little families I have created. Thank you for your support and encouragement.**_


	33. Chapter 33

_**They walked up to Crispin and Phoebe, who would be last to be presented. Cris smiled at them, pleased with how the evening had started.**_

"_**Are the children settled?" He asked Ziva. She nodded and smiled happily.**_

"_**Yes, Jack was unhappy at first but he has settled down." **_

"_**Very good. Ah, the time has arrived. Your turn." He nodded to Tony.**_

_**Grasping Ziva's hand that was resting on his forearm, Tony led the love of his life into the ballroom. "Presenting the Honorable and Mrs. Anthony D. DiNozzo…"**_

Chapter Thirty- Three:

Vance sat down at the table and nodded at Zelner to continue. "Well, as I saying, I was part of MARSOC, out of Camp Lejeune. Eight months ago, our group was deployed to Afghanistan for a top secret mission, but it really started years ago." Vance's eyebrow arched slightly, but he didn't respond.

"MARSOC provide capabilities in special reconnaissance, direct action, and foreign internal defense and we can provide operational C2 capability. MARSOC can also act as an interoperable conduit between SOCOM and the Marine Corps." Gibbs and Vance glanced at each other. They both knew what MARSOC was, but if it helped Zelner to tell his story, they were willing to take the refresher course.

"So, what was your mission: SR, DA or FID?" Gibbs asked, eyeing the young Marine carefully.

Zelner looked surprised. "You Marine, Sir?"

Gibbs nodded, but didn't add any details. "Your mission?" He asked again.

Zelner took a sip of his water. "SR. To the northwest of Parchin in the Barjamali Hills, there is a test range for liquid-propellant missile engine, a part of the Shahid Hemat Industrial Group research facility, where the signature of engine test stand firing was confirmed by an American spy satellite." Zelner took a sip of his water.

"I was part of three companies sent to Camp Leatherneck. Our objective was to locate and identify nuclear sites in Iran."

Gibbs sat up straighter. "Nuclear sites? As in weapons?"

Zelner nodded. "I'm sure you are aware that Iran has refused to let the NATO inspectors do any oversight monitoring."

"So MARSOC decided to do some monitoring on their own." Gibbs finished for him. Zelner smiled slightly.

"Yes Sir. Once we got to Afghanistan, we transferred to FOB Camp Delaram. That's where we got our orders and planned our operation. My company was led by Capt. Reynolds. Lt. Wright and 2Lt Avery was the Intel and Communications officers."

Gibbs nodded and passed the photos of the decomposed bodies to Vance. Vance looked at each noting the names of the corpses: "Reynolds, Wright, and Avery."

"I was in charge of a group of five men- Cortez, Mirrin, Draper, Olsen and Stamper. There were seven groups that were part of this mission. We were to be dropped at different locations." Zelner took a deep breath, clearly fatigued.

Gibbs wrote down the names he had just mentioned. He looked back up at Zelner. Zelner looked down at the table. "When the op was given the green light, we went to Shindand Airbase and from there; we had a night drop at our location. Do you have a map of Iran? I can show you exactly where." He looked around vaguely as if a map would suddenly appear on the wall in interrogation.

Vance stood up. "Let's take a short break. I'll be right back." Zelner watched him leave and then looked at the mirror, wondering if Ned was on the other side, looking in.

McGee sat back and looked at Dorneget. He was more than a little concerned by what Ned had just said. From what he could see, McGee was not impressed that Zelner could have exerted that much influence on anyone, but he didn't really know what had happened in the days he had Dorneget.

McGee placed his hand on Ned's forearm. "Ned, I don't know what this guy said to you, but I want you to listen to me. There is _nothing_ he could have said that would justify murdering three of his commanding officers and taking you hostage. Do you hear me? You need to let go of whatever he said to you to make you sympathetic. He needed you to understand, to be his friend."

McGee rubbed his forehead. He wasn't a Psychiatrist and he was afraid of screwing up Dorneget even more than he was.

"You weren't there." Dorneget said softly under his breath. McGee opened his mouth, but shut it again. Ned would need more than a psych interview. With growing sadness, Tim realized he was going to have to bench the young Agent.

Vance returned with the map and spread it out on the table. Zelner looked at it with interest. "There." He pointed.

Gibbs and Vance craned their necks to see where he was pointing to: Dasht-e Kavir, the Salt Desert.

"Seems like a pretty wide open spot to hide a big nuclear facility." Vance chewed thoughtfully on his toothpick.

Zelner shrugged. "We had a mission to find other sites of activity, take photos and leave."

"What happened?" Gibbs looked at him closely.

Zelner looked back at him with haunted eyes. "I completed my mission. We found an underground refinery within three klicks of our location with a telephoto lens. We hid during the day, and took photos during the night. We were there for seven days. After the first day…" Zelner gulped and tried to lift his glass but his hand shook so much he couldn't.

Gibbs took the glass and placed it in his hand and helped him to take a drink.

"Thank you, Sir." Zelner nodded. "We started getting sick after the first twenty-four hours. We thought we picked up some damn desert parasite: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. That was bad enough, but then the skin eruptions. I thought we were going to have to call the mission but we had radio silence."

"No way out." Vance murmured.

Zelner shrugged. "Olsen died on day four, Mirren and Stamper on day five."

"And you continued your mission." Gibbs stated.

Zelner looked at him. He didn't care about politics, he was a Marine and he had a job to do. It was black and white, until it wasn't.

"Radiation exposure." Vance murmured softly as Gibbs sat back in his chair.

"They told me at the hospital that the runoff from the refinery had seeped into the ground, especially in the area of the Salt Desert. I…I was the only one of my men who survived. If you want to call this surviving." Zelner looked at his arms.

Gibbs looked grim. What happened to this young Marine was unfortunate, but he hadn't heard anything that made him believe it was intentional; that Zelner and his men had been set-up to be exposed.

"Sgt. Zelner…" Gibbs purposely addressed him with his rank, to get his mindset back into military mode.

"Yes Sir!" Zelner snapped to and looked up at Gibbs.

"Why did you kill your commanding officers?" Gibbs' clear blue eyes were piercing.

Zelner flinched. "They knew, Sir! They sent us in there, and left us! We were only supposed to be there for five days. They didn't come back for us until after seven days. We were an experiment, Sir!" Zelner started coughing, clearly overcome.

Gibbs frowned. "Do you know that for a fact, Sergeant, or are you just guessing that's how it went down; because of what happened to you?"

Zelner had tears in his eyes. "I was read the riot act. There was so much brass in the room, I couldn't see straight. Not to mention the suits."

"Suits? You mean, like us?" Vance sounded surprised, and concerned.

"I don't think they were NCIS, Sir. But I am willing to bet they were CIA." Zelner put his head in his hands.

Gibbs and Vance looked at each other. _"What in the hell have they stumbled upon?"_

**Cheltenham, Gloucester, UK**

Tony grinned as he twirled Ziva around, loving the way her skirt bellowed out. Ziva smiled back at her husband, amused by his exuberance.

Tony pulled her into an embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist as he held her from behind. He dropped a kiss on her neck. "Man, what a work out!" He wheezed slightly.

Ziva looked over her shoulder at him, frowning slightly at his pale face. Taking his hand, she led his off of the dance floor. "Let's go sit in one of those sitting rooms, yes?" She stopped by their seats and picked up her jewel clutch.

Tony followed her willingly, wagging his eyebrows up and down as they passed Cris and Phoebe. He didn't see the concerned looks on their faces, but Ziva did. She just smiled and nodded at them.

Ziva looked into the room before they entered, seeing it was unoccupied. She led Tony to one of the divans and quickly closed the double doors. Tony looked at her curiously until she opened up her clutch and pulled out his inhaler.

Tony's eyes widened in surprise, and then he looked depressed. "Shit! Can't I even dance with my wife?" Tony grudgingly took the inhaler and obediently took two puffs.

Ziva rubbed his arm soothingly. "Of'course you can dance with your wife. Just not for two hours straight, Tony! I may have to use that inhaler myself, not to mention needing a foot transplant after standing on my toes for so long!"

Tony looked at her in surprise, then started to chuckle. "A foot transplant, huh? Are heels really that bad? No, don't answer, you'll ruin the fantasy." He started coughing and finally brought up some thick mucus.

"Yuck." He said as he wiped his mouth and threw away the Kleenex.

"Icky, as Karina would say. But you are_ my_ icky." Ziva kissed the corner of his mouth. Tony put his arm around her.

"Please do not repeat that to anyone." Tony kissed her back.

Ziva gave a throaty chuckle and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I need to feed Jack. Let's go see our children." Tony smiled and stood up, reaching out with his hand toward Ziva.

Holding hands, they made their way up the sweeping staircase and strolled to the nursery. They poked their heads in; pleased to see Karina seemed to be behaving.

The girls were all seated at the small table, having juice and biscuits. Jack was sitting up on the floor, gnawing on his own biscuit.

"Mommy!" Karina squealed in delight. She tried to run to her parents, but Miriam, the nanny caught her before she reached them.

"Now, now, Miss Karina. Must have clean hands first. Thank you very much, young lady." Karina dutifully allowed the nanny to clean off her hands. Ziva hid her smile as she watched Karina being attended to, looking at her parents with adoring eyes.

"You are such a good girl, Karina!" Ziva praised her daughter. Karina grinned widely, clapping in excitement.

"Toey good? Sopie good? Gack good?" She asked in one long sentence. Tony laughed.

"Yes, Punkin. Everyone is good." He looked at Ziva, who was looking at her dress and trying to figure out how she was going to breastfeed Jack.

She turned to Tony in frustration. "Tony, I really need to feed Jack." Her voice was plaintive. Tony knew that tone. Ziva was ready to leak out all over the place if they didn't get their son in position quickly.

Tony looked around. "Girls, can Aunt Ziva borrow your blanket for a little bit?" Sophie immediately got up and grabbed the expensive throw.

"Of'course Uncle Tony. Aunt Ziva, may I help you?" Sophie stood still, not sure what was going on, but she sensed it was important.

"Ah, thank you, Miss Sophie." Tony bowed to her, which made her giggle and relax. Tony held up the blanket as Ziva turned around. He quickly unzipped her dress and helped her slip the top down with one hand.

Ziva turned back around and draped the blanket over her. Tony scooped up Jack and Ziva took him gratefully. The girls all watched in fascination as Jack disappeared under the blanket.

"Oh…" Sophie said knowingly. She turned to Tony with her hands on her hips. "Why didn't you just say that Aunt Ziva needed to nurse Jack? We're not babies, you know." She turned and took Tori with her back to the table.

Tony opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He looked at Ziva, who was shaking her head and laughing softly. Tony went over to the little table.

"And how are you ladies doing? Isn't it almost sleepy time?" Tony looked hopeful. Tori giggled at being referred to as a "lady".

"We are just having our bedtime snack, and then we will go to bed. Mummy and Daddy always come up to say goodnight, first." Sophie answered, looking around Tony to see if her parents had arrived yet.

"Well, they are having a very nice time downstairs. They may not make it up." Tony offered.

"Oh, no." Both Sophie and Tori blurted out. "They _always_ come up."

"Tony." Ziva spoke quietly. Tony glanced over at her.

"Oh! Here, let me help." Tony took Jack and placed his on his shoulder while he held up the blanket. Ziva rearranged herself and then turned around so Tony could zip her back up,

"That was fun." Tony grinned at her. He looked at his watch.

"You are not calling them, Tony." Ziva admonished him.

"What?" Tony was all innocence. He had not received a follow-up call since being notified that Dorneget had been rescued. He wasn't sure if he should be worried that they didn't want to ruin his vacation by giving him the gory details, or that they didn't need him…

"I know you." Ziva patted his cheek. "Of'course they need you. Everything is fine."

"How do you do that?" Tony fingered her necklace. "Always know what I am thinking?"

"As I said, _I know you_." Ziva kissed him deeply. "Come, I think your guests will be worried about you if you do not return soon."

Tony grimaced. "Did I look like the walking dead?"

Ziva shook her head to assuage his fears. "No, Tony. You did not. Do not worry. Come." She linked her arm through his.

**Gibbs and Mimi's home- North Arlington**

"This looks wonderful, Abby!" Mimi looked at the fried chicken and other dishes that adorned the table. Tim and Abby invited them over for a late afternoon cookout to decompress after their difficult week.

No sooner had Zelner finished telling his story than a high-ranking Marine showed up and demanded that he be turned over to them. Vance had put up a fight but in the end, the SecNav had gotten involved. What had concerned them more though, was their attempt to detain Dorneget because they thought he was in possession of top secret information.

They had all been worried that Dorneget would "disappear" and were ready to hide him out in a safe house when Homeland Security finally stepped in and put a stop to it.

Dorneget was put under intense scrutiny and questioned for hours. Finally satisfied that he didn't know much more than what anyone could make an educated guess about, he was released.

McGee reluctantly benched him and set him up for a thorough psych evaluation. He couldn't believe what a mess all of this had turned out to be, but at least no Agent had been killed on his watch. But as far as he was concerned, he had "lost" an Agent.

Gibbs and Stan both talked at length to him, Gibbs stating he would have done the same thing. Vance praised him for his leadership skills and his handling of this most difficult situation.

Tim was gratified, but felt the praise was misplaced. Still, he wasn't going to ruin the weekend because he thought he failed the team.

Tim smiled as he watched Gibbs waiting on Mimi. She had about four weeks to go and had stopped going into clinic. Tim thought she looked great, but Mimi was not pleased with her weight gain. He chuckled to himself as she put the big piece of chicken Gibbs had selected for her back on the platter and chose a smaller piece.

Gibbs gave her a look, which she returned. Gibbs shrugged and filled his own plate, piling it high with mashed potatoes, corn and a big thigh.

"Mmmm…this is great, Abbs." Gibbs mumbled as he chewed. He watched Mimi out of the corner of his eye cut her chicken up into dainty little morsels and sighed.

She had been fussing over her weight and had started reducing her food intake. Gibbs had argued with her about it, thinking it couldn't be healthy for her or the baby. "Listen to what you tell your patients, Mimi. Besides, I think you look great!" Mimi had just glared at him, and ate her yogurt and banana for breakfast.

Gibbs was so concerned, he had confided to Abby about it. "Just bring up how great and small she looks, Abbs. She thinks she looks like a Jersey cow: her words, not mine." Gibbs had implored her.

Abby had patted his arm and promised to help. When they came over, Abby agreed with Gibbs' assessment. Mimi didn't look that big at all. She was all baby, maybe her face was a little fuller; but that was all.

"You look wonderful!" Abby cried as she hugged her when they had arrived. "How are you feeling? Bored yet just being at home?"

Mimi had assured her that she was quite busy working from home, but she did miss seeing her patients. She didn't miss being on her feet for hours, though.

Now, Abby watched her eating, and frowned when she saw how little Mimi was putting on her plate. She glanced at Gibbs who cocked his head as if saying _"See? I told you!"_ She nodded slightly and considered how she would bring up the subject with Mimi.

She was given an opening when they were putting things away. Bailey and Jethro were romping through both of their yards as Tim and Gibbs pushed Belle and Will in the swings. Gibbs had made some adjustments so the younger infants could fit in the swing without fear of them falling out. Now able to control their neck muscles, the twins were old enough to enjoy a gentle push back and forth. If their squeals were any indication, they were enjoying themselves immensely

Finally settling back into their seats on the deck, large glasses of iced tea in front of them, Abby sighed loudly. "Everything ok, Abby?" Mimi looked at her concerned.

"No, everything is fine, Mimi. Oh, I am a bit worried about Timmy. He's taking this whole thing with Dornie really hard, like he failed him somehow. But don't worry about that. Talk to me about the baby! Are you getting excited? I can't believe how small you look, I looked enormous!"

Mimi eyes narrowed, and she looked at Jethro. She should have known he would say something to someone, and Abby was the most likely suspect.

"Abby, I am eating just fine. You can tell Jethro that I am fine." Abby's eyes opened wide and she looked toward the yard where Gibbs was with the babies.

"He's just worried, Mimi. And I have to say I don't blame him. I saw how little you ate for dinner. I ate like there was going to be a famine."

Mimi chuckled at that. "Well, you were carrying twins, Abby. Your appetite would have been much more pronounced."

"And you are eating for two, Mimi. This is not the time to go on a diet. How many times did you drill into me and Ziva about eating healthy and eating three balanced meals a day? Please follow your own advice. We want a healthy Mommy and Baby Gibbs."

Mimi looked startled and tears sprang into her eyes. Was Jethro really that worried? She didn't think she had decreased her food intake by that much, but if Abby noticed and was having this reaction…

Mimi reached over and took her hand. "Thank you, Abby. Believe me, I want a healthy me and baby, too. I will take care of us. All of us."

Abby beamed. Suddenly, four cell phones dinged. Abby and Mimi picked their up. "It's from Tony!" Abby squealed in delight.

They both opened up the attachment and were surprised to see it was a video. What they saw next made both of their mouths drop open in surprise.

"Wha…what is that Ziva is wearing?" Abby asked.

"It looks like a tiara." Mimi tried to enlarge the pictures Tony sent. "Oh, my God, Abby! Look at this!"

_**Sorry this took a while. I started writing and then hit a wrong key and lost half of the story. I am military stupid, everything is from the internet. Got my Season Ten DVD Thursday. Disappointing there was no commentary on "Shabbat Shalom", "Shiva", "Berlin" or "Damned if you Do". There were two very interesting cut scenes, though. In case you couldn't tell, I am weaving in current things from the show into this story. I will be doing the Eli death thing, but it will not be as it was done on the series.**_


	34. Chapter 34

**Sometimes I am my own worst enemy. I keep looking for spoilers and get upset with what I read…well yesterday they listed the guest cast for the premiere and I am very unhappy. I won't say who, but not what I wanted for sure! And Glasberg's interview about Tony over the season has me very depressed. Lies, all lies…**

_**Mimi reached over and took her hand. "Thank you, Abby. Believe me, I want a healthy me and baby, too. I will take care of us. All of us."**_

_**Abby beamed. Suddenly, four cell phones dinged. Abby and Mimi picked their phones up. "It's from Tony!" Abby squealed in delight.**_

_**They both opened up the attachment and were surprised to see it was a video. What they saw next made both of their mouths drop open in surprise.**_

"_**Wha…what is that Ziva is wearing?" Abby asked. **_

"_**It looks like a tiara." Mimi tried to enlarge the pictures Tony sent. "Oh, my God Abby, look at this!"**_

Chapter Thirty-Four: "Down Time"

**Tim and Abby's Home- North Arlington**

Mimi and Abby looked closely at the video Tony had sent. Ziva could be seen twirling around; dancing with some man that they decided was Tony's cousin Crispin. Tony then cut in and Crispin took over the filming duties.

They sighed as they watched Tony and Ziva dance together. "They look so sweet!" Abby said in hushed tones. "But what is up with that tiara?" She looked at Mimi, who burst out laughing.

"I have no idea." Mimi remarked, just as amazed as Abby was over this new development. She looked over at Jethro, who was laughing with Tim as they lightly pushed Belle and Will on the swings.

She smiled softly, happy they could both finally relax a bit. This case involving Agent Dorneget had taken its toll on everyone, even if she had not been personally involved. Mimi watched their faces closely, hoping they were just enjoying the moment and forgetting about the past week.

Gibbs grinned as he softly pushed the swing that Will was tightly wedged into. He wished he could see the babies' faces, but he knew by the funny noises they were making that they were having fun. That is, assuming a four-month old baby really had any concept of what "fun" was.

Gibbs changed his position, and perspective, and stood in front of Will, pushing him from that direction. Sure enough, both Will and Belle had their eyes shut, mouths wide open in big goofy, drooling grins. He chuckled; grateful their lives had changed so dramatically.

"Gibbs…" Tim began. From his tone of voice, Gibbs knew that Tim was going to bring up the case with Zelner, or Dorneget, or both. Gibbs shook his head.

"Nope, not gonna' talk about it, McGee. It's off-limits for the rest of the weekend. We'll deal with it when we get back into the office." Gibbs' word was final, and McGee saw the wisdom of his words. Smiling, he came around so he could push Belle from the front.

"Did you ever think we would be standing here, like this, pushing two babies on a swing in your back yard?" Tim asked wistfully.

Gibbs gave him a surprised look. "Hell, no! Never in a million years did I imagine this coming. Ok, maybe that's not fair. I suppose if I ever stopped to think about it, maybe, someday, one of you would have settled down. But my building a play set in the back yard? No, that never crossed my mind. Whee!" Gibbs punctuated his statement by laughing at Will expression.

"Mimi looks good." Tim offered, looking back over his shoulder and smiling at the women sitting on the deck.

Gibbs nodded, his mouth set in a thin line. "Yes, she does. Thanks for noticing. However, she thinks she is gaining too much weight. I recruited Abby to talk some sense into her."

McGee looked a little surprised and glanced again at Abby and Mimi. They looked relaxed and happy. Tim shrugged. If Abby had grilled Mimi about her eating habits, it didn't look like it upset Mimi.

Bailey, Jethro and Bridget came running past them, chasing each other and barking. "Is Bridget doing ok? I hate to say this, but she doesn't look like she's been abandoned for two weeks."

Gibbs lightly slapped the back of Tim's head. "She doesn't look like she been abandoned, McGee, because she hasn't. She is not wanting for attention, and Bailey is in love all over again."

Tim snickered at that. He remembered how besotted Bailey was with Bridget when they first became acquainted. And then Jethro came into the picture. Yes, Bridget had her dance card full and seemed to be enjoying every minute of it.

"Besides," Gibbs continued. "They won't be gone the whole two weeks. They come back on Tuesday, you know." Tony and Ziva were going to spend the remaining part of the week getting over their jet lag and helping Karina and Jack get back into their normal routine.

"Come on over here, you two." Mimi called out. "You need to see what Tony just sent us." Tim and Gibbs looked at each other and grinned. They both gently extricated the babies out of the swings and strolled back to the deck.

**Cheltenham, Gloucester, UK**

Tony flopped back onto their bed. "What a night! I have to admit that was more fun than I thought it would be, but just the same; I'm glad I don't have to host those kinds of events on a regular basis."

Ziva curled up next to her husband. "Yes, it was fun to play dress-up, but I would think it would get tiresome if it happened all of the time. I wonder how the Royal Family does it, although I supposed since that is all they know it is normal for them." Ziva kissed Tony's nose. "I must say, you looked particularly delicious tonight."

Tony turned his eyes to look at her. "Delicious? That's a new adjective I need to add to my little book of 'What makes Tony DiNozzo so special'."

Ziva chuckled into his shoulder. "I would like to read that book someday, just in case you have added some words that I have not already thought of." Tony captured her lips in a deep, passionate kiss, loving this woman by his side that was willing to take him on as a partner, not only in work but in life.

Ziva gasp slightly, and then responded to her husband's touch. "You are not too tired?" She asked, although her concern was more over his earlier breathing difficulties that had caused Tony to retired briefly and use his inhaler.

Tony kissed her roughly in answer to her question, effectively lying to rest any concerns over his well-being…

Ziva woke up with a start, slightly disoriented. Although they had been at the estate for a week now, she was still confused when she was awakened unnaturally. She heard Jack crying from the nursery. She frowned, as Jack had been sleeping through the night.

She quietly extricated herself from Tony's arms, trying to not to wake him up, but he had also heard the cries from his son. "Is that Jack crying?" Tony sat up groggily.

Ziva was already up. "I will go check on him. Try to go back to sleep, Tony." Tony shook the cobwebs from his brain, knowing he wouldn't just lie back down and fall asleep until he knew that Jack was fine.

He was still sitting up in bed when Ziva returned with the baby. "Is he ok?" Tony's voice was hoarse from sleep and a bit of worry.

Ziva smoothed his hair. "He seems to be. There is no fever. I did change his diaper and all is well in that category." Tony took that to mean that Jack did not have any diarrhea.

"Maybe last night was too difficult for him? He is certainly used to a house full of noisy people." Ziva situated herself back onto the bed, letting Jack nurse.

"Yeah, but he's not used to a house full of strangers. Poor little guy." Tony kissed the top of his head. He was already falling back to sleep, comforted by his mother's touch.

Tony turned on his side and watched Ziva nurse their son. "I love you so much, Ziva." He murmured softly. Ziva turned to him, smiling.

"I love you so much too, Tony. We will be home soon, and life will get back to normal." Ziva sighed. This vacation had been wonderful and relaxing. She really like Tony's relatives and sincerely hoped that they would keep in touch.

But she missed her home. And she missed "her" family. She too had been worried about this recent case. She knew all too well the strain of having a colleague go missing, although in her previous work with Mossad, it had been expected.

But they were not Mossad, and neither was she. She worried about Tim, knowing he would shoulder the responsibility of what had taken place. And she knew Tony was worried about what he would find when he returned.

Tony watched Ziva feeding Jack. He sighed softly, knowing their vacation was almost over. But he was ready to go back. He was supremely confident in Tim's abilities, but Tony also knew that Tim didn't share his same confidence. He didn't know what had happened after Dorneget was rescued, so he assumed everything was fine and back to normal.

But his "gut" was telling him another story. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. There was no use in stressing about it right now, he would find out soon enough. He only hoped that his "gut" was telling him he was hungry and not…

"I can hear you thinking again." Ziva's voice cut into his musings. Tony looked at her sheepishly.

"You know me too well."

Ziva nodded and placed Jack on his chest. "Yes, I know you. There is nothing to be done, Tony. I am sure everything in fine, and if it is not, you will make it fine." Tony kissed Jack's sleeping head.

"Go, put your son back to bed, and then you come back to bed." Ziva pushed him softly to get him moving.

Tony chuckled and rolled out of bed, carefully cradling his son. He was back in less than five minute. "Karina is sleeping, dreaming baby dreams of 'Sopie' and 'Toey' I am sure." Ziva smiled at Tony's mention of Karina's attempts at her cousins' names.

"She will miss them when we leave. I hope we will keep in touch often, although I cannot imagine coming back here any time soon." Ziva said sincerely.

Tony thought about it. "Well, there is always the phone, email, text and Skype. I'm glad we had this chance to get to know them. Cris and I had some fun when we were younger, but I always thought he was a bit, you know, stiff for lack of a better word. We are more alike than I remembered."

Ziva pulled to duvet back over her. "Yes, you are two peas in a pod, which is correct, yes?" Tony kissed her softly.

"You are always correct, Ziva." He wrapped his arms around her and settled back down to sleep.

**Gibbs and Mimi's Home- North Arlington**

"Good morning!" Gibbs kissed Mimi's neck as she stood at the sink. She turned around and placed her arms around his shoulders.

"Well, good morning to _you_, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Want some breakfast?" Gibbs looked at the stove to see what was cooking.

"That looks good. Hey, I was wondering…" Gibbs stopped, as if afraid to continue.

Mimi cocked an eyebrow at him. "Yes? Wondering what?"

Gibbs looked at her and took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you would like to go to Mass this morning." Whatever Mimi thought he was going to say, that wasn't it.

She looked at him closely. She knew this case had bothered him more than usual, but she was surprised at this suggestion.

Jethro had been brought up in a strict Catholic family, a tradition he had continued with Shannon and Kelly. Jackson had ceased to be a steady practitioner after Ann had died, but Jethro had found solace in his religion.

Tony and Ziva knew Gibbs was Catholic, and Jethro had told Mimi that Kate had suspected. He had lit two candles for Shannon and Kelly when he and Kate had gone to a church to speak to a Priest about his best friend who had committed suicide rather than be found out about his homosexuality.

Kate had questioned Gibbs about it at the time, but he had not responded. At that time, the team was not aware of his first wife and child, and he had wanted to keep it that way.

Mimi had felt bad for Jethro and the team at the way the news about Shannon and Kelly had surfaced. It had been a very difficult time for Jethro, almost dying, his deep secret surfacing and his faith in NCIS and the system shaken.

Once they had declared themselves to each other unconditionally, Gibbs had told Mimi every story he could think of, to explain to her why he was the way he was. Mimi had been honored to be trusted with such information, some of which was horrific and painful.

She felt grateful that her own life was void of such drama other than the tragic death of her first husband; although that had changed the moment she had been brought into their sphere. Mimi didn't want to think of how her life would be so much less complicated and if the truth was told, safer, if she and Lily had not made this change in their lives. She was happy, she was in love, and Jethro would keep them all safe. That was all that mattered.

Mimi considered his question. She was also Catholic, but she and Lily had drifted away as their lives got busier. She knew that was no excuse, but there it was. Mimi had thought about the church and her soon to be born son. She wanted him to be christened and baptized in the Catholic Church but hadn't known how to bring this up to Jethro.

She smiled softly and kissed her husband. "I think that is a wonderful idea. I was feeling the need to get back to the church, especially now that Drew will be arriving into our lives shortly. I want him to have the same upbringing I had, and you had."

Gibbs hugged Mimi and buried his face into her neck. "I love you, Mimi Gibbs. Do you think Lily would like to go with us?" Mimi gasped in surprise.

"Maybe not this morning on such short notice; but perhaps she will in the future. Here, eat your breakfast and I will give her a call." Mimi shoved a plate of eggs and bacon into his hands and nudged him toward the table.

Gibbs grinned and tackled his food. Mimi took a sip of her decaf coffee, which was better than none at all she supposed, and pulled out her cell phone.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" She said brightly into the phone as Lily answered. "You sound bright eyed and bushy-tailed this morning."

Lily yawned into her phone. "Make that bushy eyed and bright tailed, Mom. Is everything ok? We just talked last night." After the drama of Ziva's first pregnancy and the complications of Abby's pregnancy with the twins, Lily was always worried when her Mom called her more frequently than what she considered "necessary".

Lily was tired. She had been working very long hours with the Zelner case. Having Ellie Black in to help her and Abby had been wonderful, and she enjoyed the break from the hard work by watching Ducky and Ellie interact.

"Everything is fine, daughter of mine. Jethro and I were just talking about going to Mass and wondered if you would like to join us."

Lily looked surprised. "Really? You and Daddy are going to Mass? When did this happen? Are you going to our Church?"

Mimi chuckled. "Well, it hasn't happened yet. We are just discussing it now. We haven't mapped out the logistics of it yet." Mimi and Lily had attended St. Mary's on Royal Street in Old Town Alexandria. She didn't know what church Jethro had attended when he and Shannon were married.

Lily thought about it. "I would like to go, but maybe not this morning. I have got some things to work on for school, but let me know how it goes. How are you feeling, Mom?"

Mimi was startled by the sudden change in topics but took it in her stride. She rubbed her swollen belly. "Drew and I are doing fine. Jethro is fine as well. Thanks for asking, Lily. And stop worrying: I will let you know the minute I go into labor and it better be in about four weeks."

Lily chuckled at that. So far, Mimi's pregnancy had been almost boring in its normalcy, although Mimi didn't find it boring at all. Lily was relieved that her Mom didn't seem to be having any issues with this later in life pregnancy. She had been secretly worried, but had kept her concerns to herself, and to Sean.

Lily smiled as she thought of Sean. She missed him terribly, even though he had only been gone for about three weeks. They had planned to see each other in October, but that was with the condition that everything had gone well with the birth of her baby brother.

They kept in constant contact and other than not being able to touch each other, it was almost as if he hadn't left. But it was not quite the same. Lily wondered for the first time about her biological father, and how her Mom had coped with his absence.

They didn't have personal computers and email and texting back then and only those with an intense desire had those first versions of "portable phones", which weren't very portable in actuality. All they had to rely on were infrequent letters and even more infrequent phone calls. Lily appreciated anew her Mom's strength in dealing with an absent husband and raising a child on her own.

Lily thought about her own future with Sean. She loved him deeply, but now that she knew she would be employed by NCIS, she wondered how that would fit in with his career goals. She loved DC and NCIS, and right now she couldn't imagine herself anywhere else. Sean could go anywhere, the offers were already pouring in. What if he took a job in New York, or Miami or overseas?

Lily shook her head. No sense in worrying about the future, she decided. Lily brought her mind back to the present. "Ok, Mom. You know me too well. Let me know how it goes." They hung up and Mimi looked at Gibbs.

"Lily is giving us a rain-check for today, but is interesting in going another time. Which Church were you thinking about attending?"

Gibbs thought about it. He and Shannon had attended Holy Trinity in Georgetown. It was a beautiful Church, but he decided quickly he wanted to put the past behind him. "We can go to your Church. Then it will be mine as well."

Tears sprang unexpectedly to Mimi's eyes. She got up and hugged her husband. "You are amazing, Jethro. Do you know that?"

Gibbs smiled. "Well, I've been called many things in my life." He stood up. "Let's get ready, I think there is an 11:30 Mass." What that told Mimi was that Jethro had already investigated into the Mass schedule of her Church.

She kissed him deeply and took their plates into the kitchen. "Just let me take a quick shower, and put on some decent clothes, Jethro." She headed upstairs, smiling to herself as she heard his footsteps following close behind her.

_**I wanted some fluff and not too much angst for this chapter. I am way too anxious about the two-part premiere. For those wondering, Mark Harmon was raised in a very strict Catholic family and I am assuming from the episode with Kate that Gibbs is/was also Catholic. He is in my story anyway. Same with Tony, although that was been assumed from him being Italian more than anything else. I have been to both Churches and they are lovely. We got the day off today because of the events in downtown DC today. It would appear I have a stalker/reader/reviewer who has taken it upon herself to correct every error she finds in my stories. I write for enjoyment, not to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature. Thank goodness for my loyal readers who understand the nature of Fanfic and enjoy it for what it is: pure escapism.**_


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